Lay off these 4 common complaints about trick-or-treaters, and we'll all have a better night
With Halloween just one week away, it's time for my annual reminder to homeowners and candy-giver-outers everywhere: For the love of all that is haunted, just let kids be kids.
I get it. I’m a parent. I have been teaching my kid to say thank-you since before she even knew what it meant. Most of us have. But here’s the thing: Halloween is a scary, huge, momentous night for many children. It’s full of strangers and darkness and spooky decorations and sensory overload on all fronts. For many children, the act of saying “thank-you” to every single person they encounter throughout the evening is an enormous undertaking.
Complaint 2: “Children are so greedy.” This comment usually comes from people who hold a big bowl of candy out towards a child at the door and are then shocked when said child wants to grab a handful of it. Remember these are children who are, as mentioned above, overstimulated by the whole situation and undoubtedly gobsmacked by the idea that on this one day of the year, we tell them it’s a good idea to knock on strangers’ doors and get free candy.
First of all, remember that you really have no idea how old a child actually is. There are tall 10-year-olds out there who could easily pass for teenagers. Plus, cut them some slack. Being a teenager has been one helluva tough job over the past year-and-a-half, what with the social isolation and lack of activities that have come along with the pandemic.Complaint 4: “They’re not in costume.” This may mean that the child in question isn’t visibly in a costume at all, or perhaps that the child has made what appears to be just a token effort to throw on a headband or a paper bag or a pumpkin T-shirt.