There are so many fun ways to celebrate Halloween – bats, pumpkins, scary ghost stories, skeletons, and candy galore! It is relatively worry free and provides an excuse to stuff your face with pumpkin Reese’s and other Halloween inspired goodies.
I’m obsessed with Halloween! Even as an adult, I still love it! But, Halloween has definitely changed since having children. Below is my list of main contrasts:
The Perfect Costume
Pre-kids: You start thinking about costumes in September. It would have to be becoming and funny for all the adult-themed parties and costume contests.
Post-kids: Your costume is now the last thing on your mind. You are consumed with gathering all the supplies needed for each child’s costume. Your house is a mess from all the late night DIY costume making.
Halloween Décor
Pre-kids: You create an aesthetically pleasing table center piece, with breakable ceramic pumpkins, candy filled glass jars, and candles.
Post-kids: All breakable decorations are stored away in the attic for safe keeping, not to be seen again for another 10 years. Your Halloween décor now consist of glittered covered handmade creations and a ginormous inflatable pumpkin in the front yard.
Movie Night
Pre-kids: Movies like Scream, IT, or any of the Halloweens would be on the agenda. You would curl up with blanket, popcorn, and wine to get yourself in the Halloween spirit.
Post-kids: You now watch Halloween Baby Shark and Spookley the Square pumpkin on repeat for an entire month leading up to Halloween.
Trick or Treat
Pre-kids: On Halloween night you pre-game with dinner before getting all dolled up in your costume to head to a friend’s party or the local bar’s costume contest.
Post-kids: You take your children Trick-or-treating and watch as their bags overflow with sugary, sticky candy. After 2 hours of telling your children to “Not push, everyone will get a piece of candy” and making sure they are saying “Thank you”, you call it a night and head home. You spend the next hour trying to explain why they can’t eat all their candy tonight and how it is time for bed. Once the house is quiet and everyone is asleep, you find yourself on Pinterest looking up what wine pairs best with Snickers.
The Next Day
Pre-kids: You sleep in and meet your friends for a late lunch. You discuss over mimosas or margaritas about how much fun you had the night before and how you hate that it won’t be Halloween again for another year.
Post-kids: You are awoken bright and early to children begging for a candy filled breakfast and asking why their Snicker bars are missing. While still looking like a Halloween zombie and reheating your coffee for the third time, you think to yourself how happy you are that Halloween won’t be here again for another year.
So while Halloween does look a little different post-kids, it doesn’t make me love it any less. It is still at the top of my favorite holiday list right next to Christmas and my birthday!
