Trick or Treat! Soon you will be hearing that more times than you can count. Halloween is such a fun night for the kids, something they look forward to for weeks. As a mom I always looked forward to taking Hailey out and showing off her costume. Somehow, it never was quite as much fun as I imagined it would be. When you are a single mother and trick or treating is just one more thing to do in a long list of things to do, the night can be a little hectic.
To ensure that your child has as much fun as possible and remains in a good mood here are some tips to make the night easier.
*Make sure they try the costume on and wear it for a while a few times before Halloween. No matter how cute a costume is if it’s too tight, too big, itchy or wedgie inducing your child is going to be grumpy. Also make sure they can move freely to run to those houses. One year Hailey was a flower in a flower pot and I made the pot a little too long, it came below her knees, so she couldn’t get up and down the steps to trick or treat so I had to carry her up, and then carry her down. That gets a little hard on the back after a while.
*Make them eat dinner, even if it’s only half a grilled cheese sandwich, get something in their tummies.
*Set the candy rules before you leave the house, preferably well in advance of the actual night and just remind them of the rules before you go out.
*Skip the really scary houses, otherwise you may have to deal with nightmares for a while.
*Never, ever let your children trick or treat alone.
*Make sure their costumes are light colored so they are easy to see when they are out, children tend to dart away from you when they are excited.
*After your little one goes to bed go through their candy sack, remove all the hard candy and taffy, things most likely to stick to their teeth and give them cavities.
*Most of all, watch for signs your young child has had enough. In all the excitement she may not be ready to call it a night but a meltdown when she is over tired and cranky will ruin everyone’s night.
Have fun, be safe, they are only little once.