This year, while mourning the loss of getting choose my eldest child’s Halloween costume (he choose the ugly store-bought Transformer) I am also focused on how to manage an excited 5year old with the needs of his 2 year old sister. Right now, like most children her age Z’s favorite phrase “I do MYSELF!!!” and so I am trying to balance the independence with the realities of a chaotic, sugar filled Halloween.
I was surprised to find out that most injuries happen on Halloween from falling. First, think carefully about costumes, especially for toddlers. While the gigantic stuffed Octopus costume is cute in the catalog, the reality is you child may not be able to walk in it. Tripping and falling is part of any toddlers day, but can be heightened by costumes that are difficult to walk in, especially if they are trying to keep to keep up with an older sibling.
I am also working on how to integrate Z. into the Halloween traditions we have with my son. For example, the new rule in our house is if you can carry the pumpkin from the pumpkin patch it’s yours! So Z’s pumpkin may be half the size of the others but she can be proud in that “I did it myself!!” When it comes to pumpkin carving, we are letting both children choose to draw the face on the pumpkin (Z.with a little assistance) and then Dad to be in charge of the knife skills. Then both kids can help get the pumpkin seeds ready for the oven, and I plan on being in charge of eating them! Also we have secured some flameless candles for the inside, so I don’t have to worry about that safety hazard (not to mention my kids always fight to blow out candles everywhere we go).
While I do still plan on taking Zoe out Trick or Treating with us on Saturday night, I plan on making sure she gets some Halloween fun time of her own, including attending Bellani’s Halloween Bash. She will get to show off her costume, and hang with her Toddler peeps in a safe environment that will be focused on play and not candy. (and Mommy will get see her favorite other Bellani moms!)
Post Trick-or-Treating, we of course do a visual inspection of the candy and discard anything that is homemade or unsealed. Next comes a genius idea (it wasn’t mine)…my son gets to select a fair amount of candy and the rest gets left out for the “candy fairy” The candy fairy leaves a nice small gift and all that candy ends up disappearing (right to the kitchen at my office!)
Stacey