Does Not Celebrating Halloween Make You a Bad Parent?

Autumn’s in the air and so is the aroma of candied apples and candy corn. With the first scents of Fall come another special treat; Halloween. The stores are already jammed packed with candy and costumes. Kids are making plans to see who will have the scariest. The list is endless for about seven weeks your kid is going to drive you crazy with thoughts of ghosts, goblins, and ghouls.

But what if your family doesn’t celebrate Halloween?There are many reasons parent’s choose not to celebrate Halloween. One of the most common reason is religious beliefs. There are also a lot of quick and easy solutions for non-Halloween activities.

• Celebrate the fun, Fall night at your local church festival. Most churches have some type of non-Halloween activity for the entire family. From candy to Christ, you and your child will have a spooktakular night.
• Visit a local homeless shelter and give out candy(always get permission first). The people in the shelter will love the visit and of course the goodies, but you’ll also be teaching your child an important lesson about giving.
• Treat-or Treat for a cause. On Halloween night a lot of children treat-or-treat for UNICEF, but with Christmas right around the corner, why not treat-or-treat for Operation Christmas Child.
• Throw a neighborhood block party. Have the kids and parent’s come dressed as Biblical characters. Give away door prizes and have themed food.
• If you choose to stay home, take silly Halloween themed songs and put your own words to them with Bible verse or characters from the Bible. Instead of ‘Flying Purple People Eater’ try Flying Fish Feed the People. Be creative, have fun.

What ever you and your family choose to do or how you celebrate on Halloween night, remember you’re not a bad parent. The way you raise your child is your decision, but with peer pressure not just on your child, but you as well, remember you can turn a negative night into a positive.

Your child will respect your decision and beliefs. They may fuss, but choosing how you celebrate as a family is just one step closer to being a family.