Disclaimer: Please don't think I am judging you if you celebrate or do not. This is my family, my experience. I love you whether you do or your don't.
Many opt out of Halloween because of the dark side of it. That never really rang true for me. Maybe it is because I didn't grow up fearing all of that. It was always a fun time to dress up, get a little spooky (but not too spooky), and gorge ourselves on high fructose corn syrup and red dye #7. Aside from the occasional witch (gasp!), I was never really into the super scary side so I guess I never thought it was so evil. I know, spiritual warfare and all that... Halloween just doesn't bother me. My kids have done halloween since the first child was 3 months old. We never do evil costumes, we don't do haunted houses, we pass the scariest yards in the neighborhood and opt to trick or treat before it gets dark. I think we got it.
Here is my beef. I resent the time, money, and energy that I feel pressured to spend on this "holiday" (what a misnomer- it is not a holy-day). I can spend hours on Pinterest trying to find an original costumes. I can spend hundreds of dollars on new costumes at the store (even consignment sales and stores have costumes overpriced, in my opinion). I can decorate my door with the cutest burlap wreath. I can decorate my trunk for trunk or treat so cute that every already over-sugared child will flock to my car. For what? Who am I worried about impressing? If my kids don't have great and original costumes, I'm afraid I will look like I am ruining their childhood Halloween experience (their only young once, don't screw this up!). Hold the phone!! I want out!!
I came this close () to canceling Halloween for us this year. I told the kids, I'd rather spend the money on Christmas decorations or clothes or anything really. So if they want Halloween, they are going to have to come up with "Free" costumes of their own.
Mean Mom.
Or not.
I didn't get the whines and the but Moms I thought I would get. Instead, they started talking about how they could create costumes out of what they already have. In the end, the two youngest used some of their dress up clothes from the toy box (Elsa and Batman), and the two oldest completely invented their costumes from their own clothes. I didn't feel ANY stress about running out to go buy this or that detail for someone's costume. I still have not spent a red cent on Halloween, even though tomorrow is All Hallows Eve. I will probably have to go get some treats tomorrow from Wally's world. But I am not going in there thinking, "I have to have the best candy on the block." Someone else can win that award this year. I have a feeling this Halloween will be a great memory for my kiddos despite the lack of the perfect costume or handsomely decorated porch. They will remember the year that they pulled together their own costumes and had a blast doing it.
And mom was not stressed or insane (maybe that could be my costume). Win-win.
