Search Results for: blog trick or treating minus the parents

Trick-or-Treating Minus the Parents

Trick-or-treat solo? My kid? Never! Okay, maybe when’s she 30. Fine! Eighteen, but not a day earlier. I’m kidding. Sort of. Maybe. Not really. With Halloween right around the corner, trick-or-treating is a hot topic around our home. Fortunately, my six-year-old is blissfully unaware that gathering free candy from perfect strangers on Halloween night without mom and dad is an option… maybe, perhaps, possibly, in the distant, distant future. Or, never. Listen, I barely let my kid cross the street without holding my hand, so if you think I’m going to allow her to run rampant around our neighborhood and … Continue reading →

When Did You Start Appreciating Your Parents?

Think about your answer as you read this blog, especially if you are currently an under appreciated parent of a teenager. According to a new survey, children don’t start to appreciate their parents until they reach the age of 22. Hmm… my daughter is 4… 22 minus 4 equals… a long, long time. A British research firm recently surveyed 5,000 families and found that it is uncommon for children under the age of 22 to appreciate all the hard work their parents do for them. What’s more, survey respondents noted that of everyone in the family teens are among the … Continue reading →

Last-Minute Halloween Reminders

Halloween is still a few days away, but trick-or-treating has already started in my neck of the woods. In Wisconsin, individual municipalities are given the power to determine their own trick-or-treat times. In recent years, many communities have designated the weekend prior to October 31st as the official period where kids can “legally” go door-to-door collecting free candy. Safety is the main motivator behind the move. Law makers believe it’s safer for children to trick-or-treat on a weekend when the traffic is lighter. In addition, having kids hit the streets in costume on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon increases the … Continue reading →

THAT Mom Strikes Again

Recent phone conversation with friend, who has a 3-year-old and a 3-month-old: Her: “Halloween is less than two weeks away and I still don’t have costumes for the kids!” Me: “Halloween is less than two weeks away? Wow! That means T’s had her costume for more two months now.” Her: Click The curse of being THAT mom; it comes with the territory. I wear my THAT mom badge proudly because to be quite honest, I have been where my friend is now with kids, no costumes, and Halloween right around the corner. And frankly, it sucks. By now stores are … Continue reading →

The Brave

So maybe there are more of you out there than I thought. When I wrote “Trick-or-Treating Minus the Parents,” I figured I would hear back from moms and dads whose children trick-or-treat in New York high-rises (with bellman) and don’t worry about kidnappers or other weirdo preying on their costumed kiddos running solo from floor-to-floor. Apparently, there’s another group of parents I overlooked: The “we live in the country and know all of neighbors and our kids have been trick or treating solo since they were toddlers and they are still alive” sect is quite an outspoken bunch. As I … Continue reading →

Halloween Family Travel: Fun and Freaky

Halloween is a family-friendly holiday. However, if you have a number of kids spanning a wide age range, it can be challenging to find a Halloween-themed event that can be enjoyed by the entire clan. Fortunately, there are quite a few travel attractions that feature thrills and chills appropriate for kids of all ages, including: LOWRY PARK ZOO BOO The “family-friendly fright zone” at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo features Halloween fun for young and old alike. Older kids will love navigating haunted houses, spooky trails, and a creepy Egyptian tomb, while younger trick-or-treaters can satiate their sweet tooth by collecting … Continue reading →

Where To Take Your Little Ghosts And Goblins For Some Safe Halloween Fun

My 3-year-old daughter has only gone trick-or-treating twice in her entire life. The first time she went dressed as a Dalmatian and last year she was a giraffe. If you are anything like me disappoint sets in quickly about an hour after your child returns from gathering his/her goodies. What a shame that the costume you dropped $50 on (or spent 30 hours sewing) only gets to be used for a few hours on Halloween night. (Sure, there’s always the chance to show them off at various Halloween parties and you could leave them out for your child to play … Continue reading →