Boo Who, it's Halloween!

Here's the Halloween Boo and Who!

Boo: Boo for the girls who wear skimpy revealing costumes as an excuse to dress sexy. Or more like sleazy. Boo to the scary, violent, dark side of Halloween. Boo to the schools that don't let the kids wear costumes any more. And Boo to the movement that wants to stop people from dressing in "racist" costumes. It's just a costume, people!

Now for the Who.
Who: Who are you going to be for Halloween? And I don't mean for your costume! I mean who are YOU going to be? A grouchy old Mom or a Mom who cherishes this year, this very Halloween that will never come again?

Tips:
Be prepared for costume changes at the last minute. I have had kids change their mind on Halloween night when they see some other costume in our costume box. I spent several years trying to get costumes planned/made/bought early in October. No good. Kids change their minds! So go with it. If they feel good in their costume, whether you think it looks good or not, they will be much happier trick or treaters! They will remember it as their best costume ever! (I bet you can remember your best costume ever, and it probably wasn't all that.....but you felt good in it!)

Have them practice at your door a few times before they take on the neighborhood. Even though I know they are ringing the doorbell, I still open the door and act very surprised and ooh and ahh over their costume. Now here's the teaching moment: get some candy in your hand, ready to drop it in their bag, but then stop and wait. As soon as they say thank you, drop the candy in their bag. That's a good trick. Teach them to watch for the hand dropping in the candy as their cue to say thank you. Of course then they may argue while walking to the next house over which one said thank you at just the right moment...but they will always say thank you!

Save a few big candy bars, or something special to give out to certain kids you know well. When they come by, say, "Is that you, Billy? Well I have something special for you!" then pull out something big. It's worth it to see their face!!! I learned this from a neighbor who used to do this for my kids. It made them feel so special! And make sure you give the big stuff to your own kids, too. (Ok, and one for your hubby, too!)

When it's all over, let them eat their candy. You can monitor it a little, but don't give them the one-piece-a-day rule. They'll want to eat all their "good stuff" in the first week anyway, then hold on to the stuff they really don't want and it sits there and sits there. (One thing I won't do, though, is throw away wrappers. For every wrapper I find, I get to chose any piece of candy I want out of your bag! Boy, I just have to look like I'm picking up a wrapper and they pick it up before I get to it!)

Be prepared for Melt downs. It might be you. It might be them. It might be the candles in the pumpkin. Something will not go just right. So what?

So smile and enjoy the Holiday! It really is an amazing and kind thing that happens every year.....generous adults giving away a gift to the children of the world.

It's not a time to Boo-Who. Hooray for Halloween!