If there’s one thing children LOVE, it’s dressing up. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I’m not one of those mums that loves dressing them up. If it’s a Disney outfit that comes with all the bells and whistles, that’s one thing, but when it comes to the school’s annual Halloween dress-up day - not so much!
Here are the reasons why Halloween dress up day in school is so tricky for parents.
One Is Never Enough
It takes all of our energy to come up with one scary costume for trick or treating, so throw in an extra day of dress up and it throws us off course. Aside from the fact that we’re told by our kids that it’s boring to wear the same outfit twice, there’s a good chance that the costume won’t remain unscathed after they’ve been running around the playground in it scaring all their friends. I could say that it’s irresponsible to damage something when you’ve only worn it once, but my wedding dress was certainly worse for wear after our big day so that would be a bit hypocritical…
No Masks Allowed
The biggest problem as far as I’m concerned is when most schools banned masks because they’re too frightening. I prefer to pick my kids costumes from a supermarket rather than manufacture them at home and all of my children’s favourite disguises come with great masks. Take away the mask and you’re not left with a lot. What’s Batman without his mask? Bruce Wayne wearing a cape? It just doesn’t work.
Last Minute
I’ll tell you what’s scary; being reminded that it’s Halloween dress up day at breakfast and knowing that you’ve only got your best red lipstick to use as face paint. We all know what date Halloween is, but schools often like to surprise us. They won’t be at school on October 31, so it’s anyone’s guess which date they’ll pick. The last time there was a pyjama day we were only given 24 hours of notice. Thankfully, leaving my son in his PJs for the day was much more straightforward than turning him into something terrifying.
It’s The Taking Part That Counts
To be honest, I think most kids are happy to just wear something out of the norm; it’s all the parents that feel the pressure. We’re already time-poor, so when you throw in an extra complication, it’s no wonder we start to resemble someone that’s just seen a ghost. We’re always telling kids that it’s the taking part that counts, but we all secretly want to be #winning at #mumlife.
DIY
Personally, I think the best solution is for schools to get the kids to embark on some DIY. Wouldn’t it be great if their teachers told them to unleash their creative juices and make their own outfits, accessories and props in class? They could even perfect their face painting techniques on each other as an art project. The kids would be delighted with their creations and we’d be delighted to be let off the hook!
