I know, I know, it’s Halloween and it should be FUN. It is the day to eat scare-eos (remember those) and gorge on candy and sweets. It is about late nights, bonfires and perhaps some mulled wine in a thermos for mom and dad?
And I am totally down with all that, but as of late I am TRYING to be a better parent, and that means thinking about the responsible things that go along with parenting (vs just the fun) SO, we made up some RULES, and as long as the kids follow them, we promised we wouldn’t feed them to the zombies we keep behind the wood shed.
So, here are our “Halloween Rules”
- Eat before you trick-or-treat.
I get it, you are excited, I am excited too, but there is no way in the world I am letting you run amock with a healthy dinner in your belly. We eat early, but we EAT! - Check in often, or stay close to mom and dad
My kids like to run free, and shed the constraints of mom and dad as they scurry from house to house, and I get it, we are slow and far more boring that the gaggle of friends they have found. You can run off and be free, but you MUST check in, and for the littles, that means at the end of every driveway! If you go missing in a house, I want to know which one! - Safety first
Wear good footware, don’t cover your eyes so you can’t see, and I know the glow band doesn’t match your costume but you will still wear it so I can see you. And you will go house to house on ONE side of the street not criss cross the road like Evil Knievel - No limits on the first night
Yes, eat the candy. All of it. Go nuts, gorge and roll around on a candy covered bed. This night IS all about sugar hangovers, and tummy aches… but tomorrow, you may not do the same. After tonights pig out, we are back on to regular scheduled sugary treats! Deal? Oh, and don’t puke. Please, stop before you puke (you will want to remember this one for when you are legal drinking age as well) - No falling asleep
After you have finished with this Halloween night, and your belly is full and the sugar rush is subsiding, I do not want you to curl your sticky head on my shoulder and doze off to rockets and snickers dreams. I want you to drag your tired bones to the bathroom, wash off that makeup, soap up your hands, and BRUSH YOUR TEETH.
I think that is an acceptable rule!
And parents, to make this last rule easier, make it a tradition to start Halloween night by giving the kids a little treat bag of their own with a new toothbrush, some flosser sticks and toothpaste. That way, it is easy to reach over and grab through the chocolate bars and sour gummies and after this night of debauchery, at least they can get cleaned up!