Why Halloween with older kids is awesome

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, my friends with young children. You may love Halloween with your little goblins, but it’s exhausting. Fear not; it gets easier. My youngest is in seventh grade, and Halloween is a relaxing albeit weight-gaining experience for me.

2. No more obsessing over the perfect costume – a process that begins in early September. Now costumes are determined a maximum of three days out, and created from whatever the kids can borrow or use in the house. Last year my daughter wore my Gap overalls circa 1996 with her dad’s plaid shirt. She braided her hair, made eyeliner freckles, and voila! A cowgirl is born.

3. No more walking the kids up to the door of every house. Now I stand at the bottom of the driveway with the second bag of candy (yes, my kids bring two bags for their loot), sneaking mini Snickers and Hershey bars.

4. No more rushing out of the house as the sun sets so the kiddos can be home for an early bedtime. Now we order a pizza (it’s a sin to cook on Halloween), the kids get dressed, and head out when it’s good and dark.

5. No more whining and crying over the candy received. Now the kids settle down with their bowls like they are at an international trade summit. Two bite-sized Snickers for your larger bag of Sour Patch kids? Deal. Candy negotiation is a fine art, and they have perfected it.

I did love Halloween with little ones. I still love when little Supermans and princesses ring our doorbell and say “Trick or Treat” in their little kid voices. But I paid my dues, and now I’m able to sit back and relax on October 31st.

There is one negative to Halloween with older children. It’s much harder to sneak candy from their bowls when they are at school; those darn kids have some freaky missing candy radar.

Speaking of candy, which kind do you (or would you) steal from a kid’s trick-or-treat bag? I’m sure I’m not the only parent who does that. Right?