Remember It’s Everyone’s Halloween
Last year an anonymous note went around my moms group. Where it came from, or who originally wrote it, I don’t know. Being a mother of a child with a severe food allergy though made the note really resonate with me, and it made an impact with a lot of the other moms too. I think that when someone doesn’t have a connection with a problem that a child might have it’s hard for those people to understand them. Halloween is about the kids though, and every child should be able to go Trick-or-Treating and have a fun Halloween no matter if they have undeveloped skills, a disability, or a food allergy.
Here is what the note said:
With Halloween upon us, please keep in mind, a lot of little people will be visiting your home. Be accepting.
- The child who is grabbing more than one piece of candy may have poor fine motor skills.
- The child who takes forever to pick out one piece of candy may have motor planning issues.
- The child who does not say trick-or-treat or thank you may be non-verbal.
- The child who looks disappointed when they see your bowl might have an allergy or is diabetic.
- The child who isn’t wearing a costume might have a sensory issue (SPD) or autism.
Be nice. Be patient. It’s everyone’s Halloween.
On Halloween night I ask all of you to remember that Halloween isn’t an easy holiday for all kids. For some kids it is such a sensory overload that they can’t even handle it. You don’t have to do anything different, but be open and accepting of all the children that come to your door.
I will say that when buying Halloween candy you may want to think about those kids that can’t eat it all, and buy a bag of allergy safe candy. I personally do not buy anything that contains nuts or eggs. I don’t avoid all candy that is made in a factory that also makes nut products, but I do try to buy food allergy friendly candy. All types of children want to have fun on Halloween, and with just a little help on your part they can have that fun.
Thank you for remembering that it’s everyone’s Halloween.
Aww, good reminder! Sometimes I hear people complaining about “Surly teenagers” who are too old to trick-or-treat, but I’m with you – it’s everyone’s Halloween! Who cares if there are older kids who are grumpy, they’re going through an awkward stage and need that Halloween joy all the more! Same goes for the littles who may have struggles like you mentioned. I personally think that non-candy items are SUPER fun, allergies or not. I have bat rings that will be in my candy bowl this year, even though no one ever trick or treats here, LOL!
Thank you for this! We don’t hand out candy in our neighborhood (our neighborhood doesn’t trick or treat…they do it up the street from us) but I will keep this in mind when we go to the neighborhood we trick or treat in. This is a great reminder. Thanks for sharing and stopping by Family Fridays!!!!
What a great note. I know, and love, kids who deal with all of these issues. Even for children who are “average” or “typical,” the chaos of trick-or-treating can be overwhelming. Let’s all be kind and make it fun for everyone!
Thank you for the reminder! I remember reading that post that was going around and it was great!
I love this Elizabeth!! Love it. So…what candies do you recommend?
Great post. Having 6 kids, 2 on the spectrum and 1 with developmental delays I know not to question why a child acts a certain way but not everyone does.
That’s such a great reminder. This year we’re putting out a few different bowls with different choices.
I never once stopped to think how halloween might affect some kids, I will have to keep this in mind while we are celebrating halloween.