Let me start out by saying…. I LOVE Halloween.
(Actual footage of me going to class irl).
I love the spirit of it. Everyone dresses up, goes around the neighborhood and collects candy from their neighbors. Which, on any other night would be weird. When I was a kid, I dressed up as a princess, Cleopatra, a dragon, a ninja, a 70’s child, and other typical costumes. My family always had the same trick or treat baskets, and we would come home and dump the candy on the table and go out for a second round. And the tradition stopped as soon as you turned 13.
My dad would be the one to take us out, and Mom stayed home handing out candy with the dogs.
Dad would also make us walk.
And that brings me to the purpose of my article.
Last night, I watched out the window of my house while watching the Ice Skating Grand Prix ISU in Canada and studying on my couch, and I watched as parents drove their kids around to collect their candy.
They drove them.
Don’t get me wrong, it was a little chilly outside for little kids to wander around. But that’s the beauty of it, in my opinion.
That’s where our country is failing. We hear the age-old debate of receiving a Participation Ribbon. Kids aren’t working hard anymore and they’re expecting things to be handed to them. Being driven around by their parents is a perfect example of this.
For one, I find it annoying when cars stop in front of me even on regular days. Two, it’s a bit of a safety violation when kids are running around in a busy neighborhood and crazy parents decide to take the car. Three, we were given legs and feet for a reason. And that reason is to walk our happy little butts ourselves to get candy on Halloween. Four, I loved seeing other kids’ costumes while walking. I would start conversations with them, and I got to see my friends out on the street.
And finally, it takes the sense of adventure out of Halloween night. Walking short distances between houses seemed like long escapades through haunted forests. In those cars, kids are probably burying their noses in their iPhone Xs (that’s a rant for another day, folks), and not talking to each other or their parents.
If you happen to be a parent in the future, just remember that Halloween, while just a simple and traditional holiday, can have large effects on your kids: their fitness, their connection with you, and their imagination.
Enjoy your candy coma today.