Halloween
One of the more common questions parents ask in parenting seminars regards discipline, more specifically for tips on parenting as a team. It’s great to see moms and dads looking for methods to improve their relationship, provide secure boundaries for their children, and become a united front for their kids.
Halloween is a good time to get on the same page as your spouse. Discussing expectations and coordinating efforts makes for a more enjoyable and less stressful evening. Take a few minutes today to talk about the logistics and safety considerations for Halloween.
Together decide:
• Is your family going to participate in Halloween festivities?
• If your family is attending a harvest party, how long will you stay?
• Are the kids going trick-or-treating? If so, who will take them?
• Depending on the ages of your children, how many homes will they visit?
• What will be done with the candy when you arrive home?
• How many treats can each one eat before bedtime?
• At what age will do kids need to choose alternative activities for the evening?
• If your kids are tweens or teens, where will they be and with whom for the evening?
Safety Considerations
• Choose funny instead of scary costumes. Consider visibility with masks and head coverings. Check the length of the costume to avoid tripping.
• Trick-or-treat in your neighborhood.
• Don’t allow children to eat anything while out and about. You don’t know exactly what they’re consuming and the choking hazard is high if they eat while walking.
• Trick-or-treat with your children early in the evening. Take a flashlight along for when it gets dark. Watch for traffic on busy streets.
• Check through treats prior to the children diving in. Toss candy with open wrappers.
• If you have tweens or teens, host a party for your children’s friends. It’s a great way to get to know your kid’s friends while providing a safe environment for the night.
Whether you attend a party or spend the evening trick-or-treating, the sweets will more than likely be plentiful. Decide how many treats per day your children can eat. Encourage your kids to choose their favorites and donate the rest to a local food shelf. If you want to incorporate math into the evening, have your kids sort their loot by color or type of candy and make a graph. Add the varieties together to get a grand total. Even Halloween can be an opportunity to put math skills to work!
Have a safe and happy Halloween!
© 2012 Becky Danielson. All rights reserved.
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Photo by Shaun Holloway on Unsplash.