Halloween is hiding just around the corner, like a costumed child waiting to pounce. Boo!
Some people like to lock their doors and ignore what they consider a faux-holiday. Some like to dress up and hand out candy and have an excuse to watch a horror film. And then there are those that go all out. My family falls into the last category.
From trunk-or-treats, to school parties, to different events throughout the community, my family likes to take part in this spooky season in as many ways as we can. But I face a similar question every year: does my family have too many Halloween traditions?
How we celebrate Halloween
My husband Mitch and I are big on traditions, especially during the holidays. For Halloween, we go to the pumpkin patch, where everyone gets to pick out their own pumpkin. On a day leading up to Halloween, we all watch “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and carve or paint our pumpkins and drink apple cider.
Just last year, we went as a family to a trunk-or-treat event at our church. Cohen loved decorating the trunk of dad’s car and passing out the candy. We also took Cohen and Collyns to the mall to get more candy. Then on Halloween, Cohen and dad went around the neighborhood trick or treating, while I stayed home with Collyns. As far as the costumes, we head to Goodwill to look at our options. Cohen, who is four and very opinionated, got to decide what he wants to be this year. I was trying to persuade him to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle but he chose to be a vampire instead.
Too many costumes?
However, since I didn’t feel right sending my kid to school on October 30 for their Halloween party dressed up as a vampire, I also got him a shirt and a pair of pants with skeleton bones on them. It made me wonder: with all these events, do children need more than one costume to wear? For me, the answer comes down to price. His vampire costume was relatively cheap and we received his skeleton costume for free from a friend whose son had outgrown it. So, unless there’s a good deal, we usually go with one costume per child.
Too much candy?
As far as too much candy, it’s all about moderation for both Cohen and me. Luckily, Cohen likes to hand out the candy to other kids more than going trick-or treating.
Too much Halloween?
So, is there such a thing as too much Halloween? The short answer is no. As long as everything fits into our schedule to attend as a family and there’s a limit on candy, then we do it.
Our Halloween traditions are a blast, and our kids enjoy them too. With them, the season is even more fun and special, so we celebrate it as often as we can.
Mallory Connelly
Babies & Toddlers
In addition to the time I devote to being a mom, I also work full-time outside the home, which means my day is hardly ever as simple as nine to five. With an all-too-established schedule, as soon as I walk through the door, my day doesn’t end, but rather just begins. It’s a balancing act, especially with two children, but being a mom is one full-time job that I never want to quit!
