Halloween Tips for the Newbie Parent
Like most parents, you are probably approaching Halloween with some excitement AND trepidation. Because, and let’s be real, enjoying celebrations with young children – especially for new parents -- can be work.
But, a fun, safe and tantrum-free Halloween evening with your young children can be done. It just takes a little prior planning . . . and lots of patience. See our advice and tips below to help alleviate the extra stress – for you and your child -- that comes with the trick-or-treating fun.
Young children can easily become overwhelmed when they venture out to trick-or-treat the first few times. Without your help beforehand, they may not know what to expect, especially as our very young children are still trying to determine what is real. They may be scared of some costumes and yard displays or may become really shy as they meet new people, so helping them understand what Halloween and trick-or-treating are about will help smooth the process on the big day.
Help them know what to expect:
Explain to your young child that Halloween is a holiday that originally began a very long time ago to celebrate the harvest and welcome winter but over the years evolved into a holiday with activities such as dressing up in costumes, carving pumpkins, and often going door-to-door trick-or-treating for candy. If you want to explain more about the tradition, be sure to keep your details age appropriate.
Children are visual learners! Introduce your child to Halloween through books or their favorite TV shows. Check out these curated book lists from Busy Toddler, Scholastic, and The Every Mom. Another way for them to learn more about your planned Halloween activities is to see characters in their favorite TV show celebrating Halloween. Check out these suggestions from romper and Popsugar.
Role-play in the house or enlist a neighbor to do a trick-or-treating dry run so your child knows what to expect. Have them walk up to a door, knock, and say “trick-or-treat.”
Practice saying “thank you.”
Go over trick-or-treating rules: for example, walk only on the sidewalks and not in the street, don’t run away from mommy/daddy/the group, and etc.
Talk with your child ahead of time to explain your expectations as to when and how they can eat their Halloween candy. Many parents have a policy that there is no eating of candy until they get home, and also agree upon how many pieces the child can eat that evening and in the following days.
Plan ahead for trick-or-treating:
Know where you are going to trick-or-treat. Is it your neighborhood and surrounding houses? Or, would you rather celebrate at a community event sponsored by a religious organization, business district, library or community/recreation center? Lots of cities have alternate trick-or-treating or Halloween celebrations you can participate in.
If you plan to trick-or-treat in your community, maybe you should do a dry run during the day so that you can avoid overly scary decorations that are suitable for older children.
Are you planning for your child to walk or ride in a stroller or wagon? If a wagon or stroller, have everything out and ready the day before.
Does your child have a food allergy? If so, look for Food Allergy Research & Education's Teal Pumpkin Project, which promotes safe trick-or-treating options for food-allergic children. Check the organization’s link for maps of homes in your area who will be offering items other than food, such as glow sticks, spider rings and etc.
Consider inviting one of your child’s friends/family or organizing a group for trick-or-treating. It can be more fun and less scary for your child and provide some adult time for you too!
The younger your children are, the earlier in the afternoon you’ll want to get started with your trick-or-treating. Most houses are ready for younger visitors beginning around 5 p.m. If you plan to be out after dark, don’t forget to make sure your child has some reflective tape or material on their costume, that you have flashlights on hand, and you watch out for potential tripping hazards.
If possible, talk with your boss about leaving work early so that you have plenty of time to pick your child up from their child care program and not be in a rush to celebrate. Believe it or not, lots of cities have traffic problems on Halloween due to parents wanting to be home earlier in the day.
Don’t trick-or-treat on an empty stomach. Plan in advance for an easy, low-sugar dinner or heavy snacks before heading out to collect candy. This Spinach Pesto recipe is easy to make ahead of time, can be served with noodles to create a cute monster face, and is delicious to eat!
Have a “plan B” costume on hand in case of leaky diapers, spit up and other unplanned accidents.
Make sure their costume, and yours, is ready the night before so you will not be scurrying around last minute looking for missing items.
On the Big Day:
Leave yourself plenty of time to get your child and yourself ready for their Halloween adventure.
If your child decides last minute that they do not want to wear a mask, have their face painted or only wants to wear half of their costume, so be it. Don’t force it and start the evening on a bad note.
Make an effort to have an easy sit-down dinner before heading out. Your child may be too excited to eat much so have some nutritious snacks packed ahead of time that you can take with you. Don’t forget a water cup! Trick-or-treating can be thirsty businessJ.
Even with all of your planning, your child may be overwhelmed, grumpy or ready for home after visiting only a few houses. That’s fine.
Once you are home, check your child’s candy for any choking habits, half-wrapped candy, and other items that you would rather your child not have.
Don’t put your child to bed without washing off face makeup as it sometimes will irritate skin.
Try to keep your child on schedule with their regular routine, including their bedtime. If you think trick-or-treaters coming to your home will wake your child up, place a sign on your doorbell to knock softly or turn off all the outside lights and retire early.
And finally, after your child is resting in bed, pat yourself on the back and enjoy a piece of candy. You earned it!
Remember, Halloween traditions are what you and your family make them. The emphasis does not have to be all about sweets or trick-or-treating. Decide what works for your family and adjust each year as needed.
