A mixture of Halloween candy, spooky decorations and a later bedtime sounds like a recipe for a meltdown. But, it is possible to have a tantrum-free evening of trick-or-treating with your baby and toddler with a little planning.
Here are 4 tips for a more stress-free Halloween.
Talk about Halloween early. Discuss what to expect, read some Halloween-themed books or take a ride around your neighborhood before Halloween to get used to the decorations. Skeletons and ghosts aren’t as scary if your kids are familiar with them.
Have a back up costume. Maybe he has an accident in his costume. Maybe the weather is too warm or too cold to be a fairy or dragon. Maybe one of her butterfly wings rips off. There are so many possible wardrobe malfunctions that it’s best to be prepared with a Plan B.
Be ready to head home in a snap. A toddler who is tired or bored can be set off in second. When it looks like she’s not interested anymore in trick-of-treating or she begins to get a case of the “whiny’s”, it’s best to pack it and head home. Not only will this prevent a crying fit, she might have more fun passing out candy to big kids.
Let the night be special…but not too special. It’s okay if he has some extra candy or goes to bed a little later, but you don’t need to let him consume all the candy corn in his bucket or burn the midnight oil. Doing so will just make for a very tough morning.
They won’t remember how much candy they brought home. So if you have a heaping bag of trick-or-treating candy collected (or leftover), keep it out of sight and send most of it to the office the next day.
More tips for a safe Halloween here.
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