Halloween Etiquette

I actually have a child who wants to go out Trick or Treating on my hands. Like seriously... When did that happen!? It's funny because I always knew it was going to happen, he loves Halloween just as much as I did (or still do) as a child. I adored going out dressed head to toe as the scariest creation that I could find, so of course he want's to do it too. 

It's weird though, because I never expected for it to be a worry for me. It's an unwritten law that a child get's to trick or treat right? I just worry because it is a different world now. People are less tolerant of children knocking on doors. Who's doors are they actually knocking on? 

I obviously won't be letting Leo go out on his own, I will be there supervising and making sure that he is ok and keeping a very watchful eye, but even then I feel slightly wary about it all. 

With this in mind I have been thinking long and hard about Halloween etiquette. What are the rules for trick or treating? 

Bright Horizons day care in Fulham have shared this very helpful infographic with some great advice that is a great rule of thumb to follow this Hallows Eve.

Halloween 2014

Halloween seems to grow bigger each year, the costumes become that little bit more extravagant, the candy transforms into spooky surprises and you see more and more decorations popping up welcoming trick or treater’s.

2014 was Leo’s third Halloween experience, and as with everything else, this Halloween was extra exciting because he could get more involved than ever before. This year we had been invited along to a friend’s Halloween party, and although Leo had reservations earlier that day when presented with his Halloween costume, it only took me bribing him with a bucketful of Halloween sweets to get him to wear it… And you know what? Once he was wearing it he had the best time! The initial reservations were that he didn’t want to be scary, he told me ‘I want to be Leo!’. After explaining that he was still Leo and that he would be able to go trick or treating for the very first time he waved those initial fears away.

Unlike previous years where I have carved my own pumpkins, this year time ran away and I neglectfully forgot to purchase a single pumpkin. Leo didn’t seem to mind as he was far too excited about the party he was attending later that evening. We made our way over only to find that the host had gone all out, the house was dressed to the nines and the driveway lit with pumpkins welcoming guests.

Leo was away like a shot, no fear just pure excitement. He had awoken from his nap only half hour before we left and the first thing he had said was ‘I want to go to the party!’. So here he was finally at the party and on the hunt for cake. He didn’t have to look for long to discover where it all was, and he soon found a very festive Halloween spread laid out in the kitchen.

With darkness consuming the daylight on this All Hallows Eve night, we disappeared off into the night for Leo’s very first Trick Or Treating experience. Leo being the youngest at 3 years old followed the lead of the older children as they began to decide where to visit first. We kept our eyes peeled for signs that they wanted trick or treater’s to visit, and Leo couldn’t quite believe that knocking on the doors would reward him with sweets. I will have to make sure that he realises this is only acceptable one night a year…

Leo has such a great time running around with the bigger kids (Closely followed by myself!) and when the time came to head back to the party, he was not ready to wave goodnight to Halloween’s door knocking. I enticed him back under the pretence of cake, and that seemed to do the trick.

After everyone had indulged in Halloween dinner, more fun and games presented themselves. I had always imagined Apple Bobbing to be apples submerged in water, but the kid’s (And adults) participated in a slightly different version. The apples were all tied to string and then to the washing line in the garden. Everyone then had to eat their apple without using their hands! Of course Leo gave it a great shot.. Even if he did proceed using both hands!

Halloween concluded with one sugar filled 3 year old drifting off to sleep after a rather amazing evening, full of the spooky and unexpected.

Until next year…

Halloween 2013

There are certain points in the year I like to reflect on just how far Leo has come. On how much he has changed and grown in those months that have come and gone, and Halloween is one of those points for me. 

It is a day that I have enjoyed with Leo since the get go, and although those past Halloweens are nothing to him, for me it is a day of fun and highlights just how much he has changed since those very first Halloween days.

Halloween 2013 fell when Leo was 28 months old, and although he still doesn't understand why everyone dresses up in spooky costumes and carve pumpkins... He is old enough to take part and enjoy the day like the best of us.

We spent the day with Leo's cousin and took a stroll around the local shops. When we came back Leo decided that he did not wish to wear his Halloween costume and avoided putting it on at all costs. Thankfully a lolly bribe persuaded him into his spider suit, if only for a little while.

Leo helped me scoop out the Pumpkin and watched intently as a carved a spooky face into the flesh. We set a candle in the centre and popped it out on the front doorstep so that kid's would know that we were 'trick or treat friendly'. 

It wasn't long before the door started knocking. 

And knocking...

And knocking....

It knocked while I was in the middle of getting Leo ready for bed, and it knocked some more while I was putting him to bed. Now if it had been your average door knocking then I wouldn't really have given it a second thought, but parent's were letting their children knock persistently until I opened the door.

Then when I greeted them and handed out the goodies, hands were grabbing trying to take everything that they could. The whole trick or treat experience was not really what I had expected.

In the end I took the pumpkin down as I didn't wish to encourage anymore grabby children, and I turned out all of the lights and took refuge in the fact that my lounge is at the back of the house. 

This being the first Halloween where I have actually ever come across kid's trick or treating, I didn't really know what to expect. Where my parent's live it is set back from the road and up a private drive... So kid's never really made the effort to go up there. 

What Halloween 2013 made me think about was manners and how there really didn't seem to be any at play. I can remember as a child trick or treating... I enjoyed it. But if someone didn't answer my refined knock, I took it as a hint that they didn't want children knocking on their door and moved on. Children today seem to think it is acceptable to knock loud and hard until someone comes to the door.

When did this become ok?

I am definitely more educated on the trick and treating front now. And if Leo ever does express a wish to go trick or treating, he will be doing so with manners and respect. He will say please and thank you in all of the right places, and he will NOT persistently bang on people's front doors.

Did you all have a happy All Hallows Eve? And most importantly did your little one's have a great time? 

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