Excited kids + lots of sugar + dark streets =
Anxiety. That combination equals anxiety for moms.
My girls are usually really good in parking lots and when we walk near traffic, but it seems like on Halloween all those habits start to be forgotten. As the girls are getting older, they are doing less walking with us, hand in hand, and more running from house to house with a group of friends while we wait at the sidewalks. It's fun, and I love seeing how much they love trick or treating with friends, but it definitely gets me worried.
This year, as we sit eating our absurdly early dinner on Halloween night, we will go over all those rules that are normally habit. Stay on the sidewalk (or, in our neighborhood, the side of the road opposite traffic). Only cross at corner. Carry a light - either a glow stick or a flashlight. Stay with an adult.
But we're not the only ones in control. I know that last year when we drove to our friend's house, I was an extremely nervous driver as we navigated the streets full of kids. I'm normally not a speed demon to begin with, but I was driving about 15 mph and focusing completely on the road - not on my kids and their excited backseat chatter, not on the radio, not on my excitement over stealing peanut butter cups from the treat bags later. Drivers need to be cautious on Halloween night too.
No, it's not the most exciting part of the holiday. The girls already moan and groan as I start my little speeches about manners and safety, but it's important. Come Halloween Night, hopefully at least some of it will stick, and I can have an anxiety free Halloween!
