A corollary to my whole not-expanding-each-holiday's-time-frame is not overdoing each holiday. Consequently, for me, planning Halloween is getting some candy for the neighbors' kids, possibly purchasing a smallish pumpkin, and getting my daughter an outfit to wear while trick-or-treating.
This last bit is clearly the most important, and happily, it's already been accomplished. My little one is going to be Cinderella this year. Over at UnSpun (where, it is true, I'm also a writer) they have a list of the Best Halloween Costume for Kids, and, not surprisingly, Cinderella is currently in the top 10. Here's the list:
There are other things she could be – last year she went as Camilla the Chicken – but this is the outfit with which she will be the most happy. And that really is the most important thing about the holiday, making sure that the little ones (safely) enjoy it.
Article comments
1 - Billy
I think that Halloween is one of the holidays that just does not make much sense. For 364 days of the year parents try to teach their kids not to take candy from strangers, or talk to strangers, then on Halloween it's the complete opposite, they encourage the children to talk to strangers to receive the candy!
It is interesting to see what people dress up as, but it would make more sense to send kids to a dress up party rather than confuse them with the tradition of accepting things from strangers.
2 - Lisa Solod Warren
I have always hated Halloween.
3 - Joanne Huspek
I'm impartial. Now that my chickadees have flown the coop, I'm just as likely to leave the light off and read in the dungeon. But when they were little, it was a fun holiday. I made all of their costumes until they were too old to beg for candy. We would visit Joann Fabric in July to start scoping out costumes. I see that a PENCIL is not on the list. I made that costume for my second grade son.
Yeah, just left of center, that one.