When a teenager shows up at your door dressed as a bum with a pillow case for their goodies, what do you do?
Do you shoo them away telling them that Halloween is for kids?
Do you give them an extra treat for good measure?
Do you hide behind the door hoping to hell that they will go away?
Teens and Halloween was a big conversation with a group of friends the other night. One of my friends will not serve them. Another said they’ll make them sing a song or do a trick. I said that I think it’s awesome, so I give them the candy without question. Yes, I’m kind of the cool mom in the hood who enjoys teenagers when they are respectable with a little mischievousness.
Keep in mind that I have HATED Halloween since I was 5-years-old. However, I have always tried to make it fun for my kids without kicking or screaming. I have successfully achieved this goal because my kids adore Halloween, even as miserable teenagers.
Why not give teens a few treats?
The way I make life bearable with my teens is acknowledging that they are caught in the limbo of life. They are no longer children, but not quite adult enough to deal with the big issues. I notice more often than not that they still have that childhood spirit that keeps them inquisitive. In short, they still want to enjoy the easier things in life as they did as a child. There is a fine line on what’s acceptable as a teenager, but if you maintain a balance of letting them be kids once in a while, life is much sweeter for everyone.
Remember, just as 40 snuck up on us, teenage hormones snuck up on them too!
I remember a time when I was horrified that my 65-year-old mother decided to go Trick or Treating (yes, door to door) with my kids who were TICKLED PINK that she would do such a thing. If only I was as aware then as I am now. Age sneaks up on us, enjoy the little things.
According to my daughter, teens have many pressures as well. Between friends, school, curfews and deciding what they want to do with the rest of their lives being a teenager today can be traumatic. (Yes Christina, I seem to recall my teenage years being a horrible experience as I took my horse and buggy to school.) In fact, now that I think of it, I was much too serious and I worried more, as a teen, than I do today as a grown adult with kids. I get it.
Don’t be an ass. Respect people. Don’t egg anyone’s house. Go and have fun on Halloween night.
Oh! If you decide to toilet paper one of my friend’s house……..don’t forget to call me first 🙂 Yes, we all need a laugh and be a kid once in a while. (Yes Christina, I was, and I am still, a tricker within reason, not a treater.)
The History of Halloween
According to http://www.halloweenhistory.org/
“Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced “sah-win”).
The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture. Samhain was a time used by the ancient pagans to take stock of supplies and prepare for winter. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc such as sickness or damaged crops.
The festival would frequently involve bonfires. It is believed that the fires attracted insects to the area which attracted bats to the area. These are additional attributes of the history of Halloween.
Masks and costumes were worn in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or appease them.”
See! This was an adult holiday all along, so why not let them enjoy this period of limbo in their lives.
