You and your children are probably eagerly chatting about what they’ll be for Halloween– and you’re looking for tips for enjoying trick-or-treating with your toddlers to make sure this year is a lot of fun. Will you have a theme for the entire family? Will your kids costumes coordinate? (I once saw someone put their child in the Chick-Fil-A cow costumer and a chicken costume, complete with the Cow wearing a sign that said eat more chicken. It was the cutest sibling costume set)!
Here we’ll have a policeman, a black cat, and an Incredible Hulk. The baby will be in the Hulk costume – it even has the built-in muscles – it’s so funny and I scored it at a neighborhood sale for $5!
Anyway, all of the excitement that comes with Halloween can slip away by putting your little ones in an ill-fitting costume, going too late when it’s dark and scary, or having to wrestle candy away from the kids. Take a look at these 5 tips for a safe and enjoyable night of trick-or-treating with your toddlers.
Choose costumes with care
There are a lot of really adorable and hilarious costumes out there, but it’s essential to remember that simple beats super cute but complicated, hands down. Don’t opt for costumes with itchy, uncomfortable fabrics, over-the-top headpieces, or long capes that may cause your child to trip. Make sure you select a costume that is fun and practical – and even better if you do what you can to make it an inexpensive Halloween. Consider making your own costumes to save money. After all, many of the costumes wind up in the back of the closet, never to be worn again.
Discuss Halloween etiquette
You don’t want to spend hour evening reprimanding your kids for taking too much candy or have to hear every homeowner reminding them to take just one piece of candy please.
Before you leave the house, chat with your children about how it’s polite to take one piece of candy unless they’re told otherwise. This short talk with (hopefully) eliminate a lot of nagging throughout the evening of trick-or-treating.
Time it right
Trick-or-treat as early as you can and keep the evening short. Young children can’t walk for hours. Bring a wagon for your toddler to ride in in case they hire. We NEVER leave for trick-or-treating without one! I’d rather pull the wagon than wind up carrying kids in costumes and treat bags half a mile to our house. Remember to focus on brevity when it comes to the evening – you want to remember the evening as one that was fun, not a night your over-stimulated child lost it in front of the neighbors.
Have a candy-eating plan
It’s always good to have a plan of attack when it comes to how much candy to let your toddler eat. Seeing your favorite candy in a bucket is a lot for a toddler – it even takes adults some serious self control to resist the Reeses cups and Skittles. Put a plan in place about how much your child can eat. Make sure your child knows ahead of time how much candy is allowed that evening and throughout the following week. No one wants to get in a fight with their child about candy. Don’t forget to inspect all candy before your toddler starts eating it.
Eat before you head out
This may sound like a no-brainer, but make sure your child eats dinner or a heavy, healthy snack before you head out trick-or-treating. This should help prevent some of the begging for treats throughout the evening.
Are you planning on trick-or-treating with children this year? What tips would you share to make the evening more enjoyable?
Photo credit: OurLynden.com
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Category: KidsTags: candy
