Halloween Tricks? Got ’em.

October 31. Here. Almost done. Phew. At least there’s candy… and many lessons taught and learned. Even the most shallow of holidays centered around costumes and sugar should have lessons (this is the ‘fab-from-the-inside-out’ portion of the blog). Because I said so. Halloween tricks can be a good thing.

So while I’m carting around a ridiculously-mini Minnie Mouse and a fabulously-flirty ladybug all day, zipping from this errand to that dance class and on and on, know that I did discover and incite some lessons to my little goblins leading up to this day of sugar… and here they are now for you to judge and enjoy. A few tricks:

LESSON #1 (teaching assertiveness, for toddler LadyP): Don’t be afraid of the big “mad” pumpkin at the grocery store. If it bothers you, just tell it off. And shake your finger at it too (whichever finger you see most appropriate in the moment…. mom and toddler may wave two different fingers).

LESSON #2 (teaching empathy, for everyone): Spend a tad bit more money for a fabulous seasonal item that aims to kick cancer in the a$$ with every purchase.

LESSON #3 (teaching street smarts, for baby LilMiss): Don’t be afraid of anyone in a witch hat. Chances are they just want to intimidate you to get you to give up your toys.

LESSON #4 (teaching common sense, for moms): Even if you put the candy aside for trick-or-treaters early on, you’re gonna eat it. So just eat it and be done with it. It’s even ok to give your toddler candy. It’s just sugar. Everyone will poop it out.

LESSON #5 (teaching the gift of giving, for us all): Pick a baby that you know is having their very first Halloween (we chose cousin GirlieBlue) and deliver a sassy little micro-sized surprise. Get your own little ones involved in the whole process. I made a big tah-dah of it all and kept repeating how we were “getting a present for cousin!” (which LadyP miraculously got really obsessed with… she still asks if we’re going back to Target). So on Halloween night, when your tots are greedily begging for candy from strangers and getting every single thing their heart desires because every adult they run into tells them how freakin’ cute they are in their costume, you feel settled that they already learned how much fun it is to give things to others too. There’s the balance. And that’s fabulous.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! WHAT ARE YOUR SPECIAL TRICKS?