Halloween

Post 144

Halloween is only a few weeks away as I am sure you are aware. Your little one has probably been talking about what costume he/she will wear since last year! It’s such an exciting time for children especially since Covid 19 cancelled most celebrations and trick or treating last year. And it’s usually the first celebration of the school year.

If your child is in Preschool or Kindergarten, everything will be new and exciting. His/her teacher will let you know how the class will be celebrating. In my school this involves some sort of costume parade and party. Each school is different. But it is all fun.

A word to the wise about costumes. Please don’t send in weapons even if your little ninja REALLY wants to bring them. Picture a classroom full of students with them and you’ll understand. 😀 Also, if your son/daughter is wearing his/her costume to school, I would recommend he/she wear play clothes under it. Make sure it’s easy to take off unless it’s okay with you (and the teacher) for it to be worn all day. And if the costume is something you treasure, that you want to keep for some reason, consider sending your child in another one that it doesn’t matter what happens to. We do our best but accidents happen and red marker on a Disney princess costume is hard to get out. Lol.

A question I often get is how many events should a student attend? That’s obviously up to you. But don’t feel pressured to have your little one go to everything the school offers. Parents worry that their child will be left out of groups on Monday if he/she doesn’t go to something after school on Friday. From what I have seen, children live very much in the moment. They are caught up in what is going on right now. What went on yesterday is history. Definitely have your little student participate in classroom festivities but don’t feel pressured to have him/her attend every other social event the school sponsors after hours. Go to the ones you can and don’t feel guilty about those you can’t.

I hope you and your child have a wonderful Halloween! 🎃

Take Care.

Halloween

Post 72

Halloween is coming and will probably be the first real celebration your child will have in school. It’s a lot of fun and I strongly encourage you to be there if you are invited. But there are some questions that may come up.

First of all, what type of party is your child’s class having? Some schools have adopted the idea of having the children dress up as their favorite literary character. If that’s the case, go for it! Let your son, daughter go through his/her books and find one that he/she likes. Then get as close as possible to copying that character’s clothes, hat, accessories, etc. Sounds self evident, right? Not always! Sometimes making a Dogman or Pinkalicious costume can seem daunting. Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect! Your son/daughter will be thrilled if his/her costume is basically the same color as the character’s. And teachers do not judge you by your costume making skills! It’s the idea that everyone participates and helps bring reading alive. That’s what’s important.

If, on the other hand, your child’s class is having a traditional party, that’s great! Again, there are a couple of things to be mindful of. First of all, if he/she is encouraged to wear a mask, please make sure your son/daughter can see through it! We don’t want anyone tripping and falling on Halloween! Secondly, if accessories are involved, please make sure they won’t cause problems in a school setting. (think swords, bats, etc.) Also, make sure to send in a bag for them to go in during the day so nothing gets lost. Thirdly, if your Kindergartener’s (Preschooler’s, First Grader’s) costume is very special to you, or you don’t want it possibly torn for later in the day, consider sending him/her in another costume that’s just for school. Or maybe send in clothes for him/her to change into if the parade/party is early in the day. (Make sure they are ones your child can handle by him/herself.) Again, a bag to put the costume in is a good idea. Backpacks tend to get filled with party treasures.

Lastly, enjoy this first “event” in your little one’s school “career”. Even if you can’t attend, make sure you ask about it so you can be there vicariously. Have fun and Happy Halloween!

Take Care.  🙂