Taking My Children Trick or Treating For The First Time

Last night was the first night that my children have been Trick or Treating, I don't know whether my beliefs came from my mother.....more than likely. I always thought going trick or treating would be sending my children mixed messages hence why I have never taken them, well not until last night.

We always tell our children not to take sweets off strangers, not to talk to strangers etc. although this one night I always found it bizarre that we encourage our children to do exactly that.

Monday afternoon, Jacob my seven year old son, returned from school asking if he could go trick or treating with the neighbour's daughter, (her dad was going to take them both) I had booked the evening off work as I normally hide sweets around the house for the kids, so I felt a tad gutted that he wanted to go out trick or treating instead of staying at home looking for sweets.....let's face it, who can blame him. I went against my beliefs and agreed to let him go.

Not having got either of the kids a Halloween costume this year, Jacob decided what he was going to wear after getting a magazine with gory stickers and his Frankenstein headband. I found some fake blood from a few years ago so smeared it over an old school shirt, then used my vegan, botanical make up on them both to spook them up.

I have to say I am quite proud of us for spending no money on the outfits and putting something together last minute.

Ensuring that Jacob had dinner before going out I had planned for them to have bloody severed fingers, in the theme of Halloween and all that.

Another last minute decision was made, and by last minute I mean as our neighbour and his daughter knocked on the door they invited my two year old daughter, Dakota and myself along as well. Not wanting Dakota to be left out, I thought, why not let's go. It's not like we have anyone coming round tonight (which we did).

To my surprise trick or treating was quite a nice experience, it was lovely to see the effort some people put in to decorating their gardens, drives and themselves, even those without children and the elderly had made an effort.

They both came back with loads of sweets, that we called off the traditional sweet hunting around the house. I even heard Jacob say 'this is the best day of my life' oh dear. It's not like I have let them live a sheltered life, plus mate your only seven.

Walking back to the car was hard work, I had to carry Dakota on my shoulders as she kept stopping to look in her bucket, bless her. This resulted in me being smacked in the head with the bucket....several times......thanks love.

All in all the trick or treating was a success, we all had loads of fun. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I had imagined people not opening the door, or telling the kids to get lost, and it was nothing like that. Jacob's words as we left houses were 'see you next year'. Looks like we are doing it next year then!

My top tips for Trick or Treating would be:

• Get a Velcro bag rather than a bucket (especially for toddlers)

• Take torches (which my very forward thinking son had thought of)

• Only call on the doors you know (although we didn't know the people, my neighbour did)

• Don't call on doors than advise you they don't want trick or treaters.

• Stay together

• Make sure they know not to enter homes

Hope you all had fun Trick or Treating, if it isn't your thing, maybe next year try hiding sweets around the house for them, or get them to hide them for you.

Love and Light to you all

The Joys Of Parenthood

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