I am the bah hum bug of Halloween. I let my kids go trick or treating until they turn 12. After which, I just think they are too old to dress up and go door to door. Nothing ticks me off more than a big High School kid walking around with a pillow case begging for candy.
Halloween has always bothered me as a parent. We teach our kids not to talk to strangers, and we remind them to never take candy from strangers. Yet, on one day a year we send a mixed message as we pat their little heads and send them out the door to go trick or treating. They never went without a parent, but still...I remember as a girl, I went trick or treating with my mom. There was this one house who handed all the children candy, but gave me an apple. Now, don't get me wrong, I love apples, but this was back in California when people were putting drugs, razor blades and needles into trick or treat candy. Maybe he had just run out of candy, and didn't want to disappoint my cute, sweet self or he could have been a psychopath. My mom freaked out when we got home, and we threw it away. That's something that has just stuck with me.
I have always put up a few Halloween decorations but, never gone hog wild due to my utter dislike of the holiday. I know I disappoint my kids especially Ladybug, who asks me every year to make our house spooky and to put up more decorations. I am such a disappointment.
We have decorations but nothing terribly spooky or crazy. It's just a lot of work and I've never been organized enough.
ReplyDeleteWe like to take our kids trick or treating so we can meet our neighbors face to face. It's pretty sad that Halloween is often the ONLY one-time of the year we actually say hi to most of our neighbors. Pathetic. But, obviously, we only trick-or-treat in our immediate subdivision (and only for the purpose of the face-to-face with our neighbors). The trunk-or-treat provides enough candy in 10 minutes time to last our kids until the end of the year!
I have to admit, now that I'm an adult, I love Halloween parties and dressing up.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Washington state during the Green River Rapist time period. (Showing my age, I know.) But we never were allowed to go out trick-or-treating due to the panic. As a parent, I don't get into it and I suppose my kids suffer for it, but that is how I grew up. Oh well, at least I go all out for Christmas!
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