Be spooked. Be scared. Be very, very wary… I’ve never really gone all that crazy for Halloween, but as my girls get older and more into the costumes (and candy! lollipops! chocolate!), I’m learning how to say “Boo!” a whole lot better than years passed. Us parents need super-stealth Halloween tips these days. Wicked is as wicked does (I have no idea what that means, but it seems to work well for this picture):
Before babies (in my 20’s), Halloween was a socially-acceptable excuse to turn into a sexy vixen with fishnet stockings and a whole lotta leg. (My how things change… try explaining fishnet stockings and a super-short skirt to my in-laws.) Now? I’ve got rules people… rules rules rules. How wicked and witch-like. Some of my newly-minted house rules especially for Halloween time:
1) EAT THE CANDY. Just eat it. Don’t pretend that you’re monitoring how much sugar intake is acceptable for one day… it’s ONE day. Eat the candy and get over it. (And let your kids eat the candy too! My two year old literally just had TWO lollipops. Why not.) 
2) COORDINATE THE COSTUMES. Last year, I had two busy bees to contend with… so I guess that made me a farmer. (Hey, I tried to find a beekeeper’s hat and net, but didn’t get that far. Farmers deal with bees… right?)
3) TRICK OR TREAT IN *YOUR* NEIGHBORHOOD. Not just for the candy, but also to get to know your neighbors! How many times do people really visit each other these days? Not often enough in LA. What other time of year can you knock on your neighbor’s door, say hi and share a Snickers? I’m not ashamed to say I use Halloween to reconnect with the community that I live in. (And also for the candy…)
4) LIGHT YOURSELF UP. This one’s both a safety and fun issue. I like to put something on my girls that will alert other people that they’re coming (passers by, running teenagers, cars). My favorite tools of the moment are those light-up kids kicks that shoot off LED lights every time they walk around (we like Skechers Twinkle Toes). Glow-sticks worn as bracelets and/or necklaces and/or glow-in-the-dark clothing (or even just good old fashioned mini-flashlights hanging from their trick-or-treat bags) work too.
5) PARADE AROUND IN YOUR COSTUME ALL DAY. (This concept personally discovered in 2011. I think it makes the hours pass quicker?) I’ve taken ladybugs to the grocery store, Minnie Mouse shopping… and last year took my bees to a Japanese restaurant after an early costume party. Toddlers in costume are acceptable all day long… no matter where you’re headed.
6) DON’T OPEN YOUR DOOR AFTER 8PM. It IS Halloween, people… and I’ve watched enough horror movies to know that trick or treaters should be no more than 4 feet tall and finished with their door-to-door activities by 8pm (all the sugar makes them crash). AND: I’m a huge chicken with an overly-active imagination. BE SAFE!
DO YOU HAVE NEW HALLOWEEN RULES NOW THAT YOU’RE A MOM?
[…] I swear… trying to get toddlers to eat good, whole, decent food is a pain in the you-know-what sometimes. Ok, a lot. (Or is it just my picky toddlers?) Let’s talk about what my 2 year old LilMiss says the second she wakes up in the morning: Mama I want chocolate. ?!?!!?? Excuse me? Since WHEN have I EVER given you chocolate for breakfast for you to think that’s even ok to ask for first thing in the morning?!?!? (I know, I know… she’s TWO. But still.) I’m blaming Halloween. […]