I am a pediatrician and a mom of two young men, 20 and almost 23. While school and training taught me textbook information about children’s health and wellness, my boys taught me common sense tips for parenting.
A basic premise of parenting is that we want our children to be healthy and happy. We celebrate traditions to bring joy to our families, but putting health and safety first is critical. There were times raising my children that I had the priorities misaligned, however, and Halloween is one holiday tradition with parental choices that we fortunately are able to laugh about still over 10 years later. It’s a learning experience that I hope I can pass on to families celebrating the holiday with children for the first time.
Dr. Shannon Fox-Levine is the South Florida medical director at Bluebird Kids Health. (courtesy, Shannon Fox-Levine)
Stay cool. The first important reminder is that we live in Florida. When my oldest was 3, he loved Elmo. Yes, I was the parent who bought the head-to-toe woolly Elmo costume. He wore it long enough to take pictures but then had to sit in the wagon around the neighborhood since he was too hot to move in it. Don’t let the advertising trick you. Be creative and make your own tropical weather costumes. He would have been better off in a T-shirt with Elmo on it and a red hat and shorts. Keep the costumes cool and bring water to stay hydrated.
Safety first. Another costume must is that it should not cover your child’s eyes. That same son, eight years later, had a grim reaper costume that covered his face. We thought he could see well until we were walking away from one house, and he whispered to his brother “Did you see the sheep”? It was a golden retriever. Young children are safest in a stroller or wagon since they can be impulsive and dart across the street to see a favorite character. Use reflective strips or glow sticks so others can see you.
Teach manners. Halloween is one of the first times my children were able to practice social skills with many adults. Say “Trick-or-treat.” Wait your turn until the adult holds out the candy for you to select a piece. Take one piece to leave more for other children. Say “thank you!” After a few years of this practice, we were always proud to hear the neighbors shout over to the sidewalk where we waited “you have such well-mannered boys.” I give Halloween some credit for this.
Sharing is an important lesson for children to learn. Our tradition was to bring the candy home and lay both of their bounties out together for the boys to sort while we supervised. This is an opportunity to review the candy to be sure it is safe to eat, especially if your child has an allergy. Our boys developed their own tradition over time of sorting all of the candy into different shapes and sizes and then storing it in separate containers. They were still doing this into their teenage years when less parental supervision was required.
Lastly, to live a healthy life, everything in moderation. Allowing your children to eat some of the candy over time is a great way to teach them this concept. We allowed them to pick out one or two pieces that night and then gave them each one piece a day for a week in their lunchbox. The rest of the candy I would realize we still had in all of the separate containers a year later at Halloween. My only regret over the years is that I didn’t take advantage of teaching them a lesson to donate the candy to a program for soldiers or similar charity. I do recommend this to my patient families now, however, to make up for this regret.
Dr. Shannon Fox-Levine is a pediatrician and the South Florida medical director at Bluebird Kids Health.
