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My Kids Aren't Too Young For Halloween

My Kids Are Too Young For Halloween, But I Bring Them Trick-or-Treating Anyway

Many parents opt out of taking their babies trick-or-treating on Halloween. I get it. The kids are too small, they won't remember a thing, they can't walk up to a house and ask for candy, and you feel a little bad splurging on an adorable costume that definitely won't fit them for more than a week. But if you're on the fence about taking your littlest ones door-to-door this year, I'm here to tell you that it can also be totally worth it.

No, they won't remember their first time trick-or-treating, but they will have those obnoxious family photos with our matching costumes to look back on.

For my son's first Halloween, he was only five months old, so I debated whether or not I should take him trick-or-treating. Bringing him meant I had to carry him, and if he was in a costume, that would make things even more of a challenge. It also meant that my husband and I had to do all the actual trick-or-treating while he smiled and charmed everyone. But as most first-time parents know, we really wanted to show him off. So, after a little bit of thought and a lot of costume searching, we dressed him up in a Detroit Tigers costume. He couldn't have looked any cuter. My husband, in-laws, and I walked the streets and took turns having him strapped inside the baby carrier or planted on our hip. People kept stopping us and commenting about how cute he was, and to be honest, hearing those things all night made me so happy. My son was all smiles at every new face that looked his way (many of whom were in costumes), and even though he won't remember it, I like to think that gave him a really good foundation for fun Halloween memories. So, after that first successful year, we decided to do it again when we had our daughter.

We immediately became that family of four that wears matching themed costumes. Cheesy, I know, but I just can't help myself. It's so fun! On my daughter's first Halloween, we all went as part of the Curious George crew. My husband was The Man with the Yellow Hat, I was Professor Wiseman, my almost 2-year-old son was Curious George himself, and our baby daughter was a banana. She definitely won't remember her first time trick-or-treating with her big brother, but she will have those obnoxious family photos with our matching costumes to look back on, and that's more than worth it to me. The photos will serve as a reminder of the early days when my husband and I were just starting to build our very own family traditions.

I understand why some parents don't want to bring their babies trick-or-treating, but I definitely don't think those who do should be shamed because of it. Yes, it's a lot of work and the weather rarely cooperates, but it's also about spending quality time together as a family. And those photos (of matching costumes or not) will last a lifetime for both you and your children. You'll be able to look back on them and tell your kids all about their very first Halloween. And that is something they'll always remember.

Image Source: Unsplash / Omar Lopez
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