It’s that time of year. The leaves are starting to turn, there’s a chill in the air, and every road you drive down boasts a row of houses adorned with pumpkins. Let’s not forget the infamous PSL.
This colorful season has so much to offer kid-friendly activities, from apple and pumpkin picking to hayrides and jumping in piles of leaves. You might not be able to keep your kids indoors! Almost every activity will be outside, which keeps your kiddos off their beloved devices.
Halloween is a day that can delight a child but wreak havoc on a parent’s wallet. This spooky day seems to take its time arriving but wastes none departing—nevertheless, it’s coming whether you’re ready for it or not.
What happened to the simple days when trick or treating was the show’s star? Nowadays, there are bigger and better things, and neighbors may even find themselves competing when decorating. From blow-up black cats to haunted tunnels on front lawns, trick or treating seems to take a backseat to all the new and improved scare tactics that keep our kids wanting more.
Another magical part of Halloween is the mystery. We have the chance to masquerade ourselves as anything we want for one night only. Make-believe is the theme of this haunting holiday and is most likely every child’s favorite part.
Choosing a costume is their chance to make their own choices and feel good doing it. Kids know what they want and don’t give up until it’s theirs.
Costumes are like vehicles; once they hit the pavement on Halloween night, they depreciate and go into the closet with at least three tootsie rolls stuck to the sleeves. By the time Halloween rolls back around, the costume is either way too small or looks like a truck ran over it. Nevertheless, we parents have no choice but to pay for yet another overpriced costume which unknowingly could end up being a duplicate from the year before.
The stress from our little ones selecting a costume can be extremely overwhelming for us moms and dads. Not only has the cost of costumes increased (along with everything else), but the selection is also limited. As Amazon and other online shopping sites continue to gain popularity, more stores are closing or not carrying the quantity they used to.
Online shopping can be convenient. No argument there, but when it comes to Halloween costumes, it might be wise to see them in real life as opposed to a screen. Conveniently, some retailers allow customers to try costumes on before purchasing. You can’t go wrong but beware.
The chaos will be more terrifying than a Steven King movie marathon. Confusion and lines that go far into the birthday party supplies aisle and employees who look like they have no idea what is going on is a fright fest. You can spend at least 40 minutes staring at the costume wall before your child decides to go with the bumble bee or Marvel character.
After waiting an hour or more for the perfect costume selection and fitting, you may need to take another lap around the store in search of something to hold all the sweet treats your kiddos will collect. To your surprise, you may find that Halloween buckets have come a long way since the old-school orange plastic jack-o-lantern.
There are all kinds of bags, buckets, and totes. As a result, you’re looking at another waiting period while the perfect candy caddy is chosen. When you get to the cash register, you are exhausted and bewildered by the total the cashier tells you. You might think, “All this (expensive) preparation for one night,” but the look on your little ones’ faces will be worth it.
