Kids are offically back to school. Which, for me, is just a countdown for the summer to end. But then, I hate summer. You might not. So anyway, if you're like me and looking for a reason to ignore the end of summer so it'll get to fall a little faster, I have a little something for you.

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Let's prepare for Spooky Season! Okay, maybe don't decorate your house head to toe in cobwebs yet. But, we can get ready for Trick or Treating!

There's very little that can keep a kid from Trick or Treating. And of course, there are a ton of great events and trunk or treats, not to mention good old fashioned door to door action.  But there are some kids out there that are pretty limited in what they can eat.  For example, if a kid has a peanut allergy, that means they can't have a lot of the Halloween candies out there. I bet it's frustrating for the kids and the parents! It's pretty scary to think that somebody with a severe food allergy could be in some real danger just from trying to have a little fun on Halloween.

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But, there is an option if your little Trick or Treater has to be careful. That's where the Teal Pumpkin Project comes in.  They give lots of information on some of the more common food allergies, and what an allergy actually does to your body.  According to their website, the message is simple:

Putting a teal pumpkin on your doorstep means you have non-food treats available, such as glow sticks or small toys. This simple act promotes inclusion for trick-or-treaters with food allergies or other conditions.

How neat! It's great that all the kids have options when it comes to the fun of Halloween. I bet this is also great just to help these kids feel somewhat normal again.  I mean, if everywhere you went, you always had to stop the adults and ask them if a certain ingredient was in the candy, and then you'd have to say "No thank you" and look kind of ungrateful or weird.... yeah, I get it.   And I bet it would be just kind of a let down to go door to door to door and see your friends or other kids get to enjoy whatever they want however they want, and you just can't.   It must be tiring to be constantly reminded that you aren't "normal", you'll never be "normal" the way some people define it, and it must feel like the world just doesn't care if you're not like everyone else.  I bet their friends feel a little bad, too - they want their friend to have fun, and they would share their candy if they could, but... again, they just can't.

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Surely we, the adults here, can take two seconds when we're shopping for Halloween candy to just...pick up a bag of temporary tattoos or stickers or bouncy balls or finger puppets or play dough or SOMETHING, you know?  If you're already going to spend money on it, what's replacing one bag of candy with a bag of party favor like toys?

So don't forget, it isn't just about allergies - it's also about just making all the kids feel like they're getting to have a normal Halloween again.

So, why not pick up a couple of things that are non candy, paint a pumpkin, and join in the movement! You'll make a kid's year, I'm sure of it.

Summeringly yours,

Behka

 

 

LOOK: How Halloween has changed in the past 100 years

Stacker compiled a list of ways that Halloween has changed over the last 100 years, from how we celebrate it on the day to the costumes we wear trick-or-treating. We’ve included events, inventions, and trends that changed the ways that Halloween was celebrated over time. Many of these traditions were phased out over time. But just like fake blood in a carpet, every bit of Halloween’s history left an impression we can see traces of today.

Gallery Credit: Brit McGinnis

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