My neighbors pulled out the pumpkins, ghosts, and decomposing suicide/lynching victim on September 15th. I pulled into my driveway with the air conditioner blasting and muttered, "Oh good lord, people." Now it's spread through the neighborhood like herpes.
Since when did Halloween become the crap-gasm of holiday decorating, anyway?
Elizabeth is convinced that Halloween is like--tomorrow--and is freaking out about getting a Dorothy costume. Yes, Dorothy. From the Wizard of Oz. Have you priced a Dorothy costume? $30 for just the dress. Forget the shoes, the hair ribbons, and the basket stuffed with Toto.
And I have to buy enough candy to feed the 100+ children carted in from the suburbs because our houses are closer together and kids want a better score. There's another $30.
Halloween is supposed to be a fun, simple, cheap holiday. We used to grab stuff from around the house and create a costume because stores only sold junk like a paper Smurf mask. Now parents drag their kids to Target and blow $45 on whatever bedazzled costume Little Precious points to.
Capitalism - 1. Creativity - Zip.
Call me Scrooge, but holidays are starting to sicken me. All I can see are people throwing money around like fools. (I'm looking at YOU, neighbors with the $60 life-size corpse hanging off your porch.) $50 on a Halloween costume worn under a coat for one hour...a couple grand on Christmas junk...$60 on 2nd Christmas (a.k.a., The Easter Basket)...
And even worse? I feel like a piss poor parent if I say, "No." I start to imagine her telling my grand kids about what a tightwad I was and how she always longed to have what her friends had. I'm already feeling guilty because I can't afford ballet classes. Or gymnastics. Or soccer. Or even pre-school. Now I'm feeling guilty over a Halloween costume?
Ugh. Lame.
21 comments:
Don't feel bad about saying no. Because, that is how your neighbor got their $60 corpse. Their spouse felt bad about telling the other one NO.
Your kid will turn out fine without all the trappings of Halloween. Making up a costume is the fun part. One year I was grapes! Purple balloons, blown up and pinned (by the tails) to a purple nightgown. VOILA! So creative. You can do it. She'll think of something fun. Or maybe you'll find a friend with a costume to borrow. Or check the resale shops or even Salvation Army. There's always good stuff there.
if it makes you feel better, we always made our own costumes and we LOVED it. We would start way ahead of time and I remember having so much fun with my siblings and my parents doing it.
Seriously, make the costume. Does she have a cute blue dress? Put it on her with a pillorcase folded into an apron (held on with a belt). An old picnic basket with a stuffed dog which she probably has in it serves as Toto AND her halloween candy basket. Even the shoes can be done with a jar of glitter, and some consturction paper or foil taped over her regular shoes.
I have NEVER bought a costume from the store because they are 1)Cheaply made 2)way overpriced and 3)super lame! make something up! One year my sisters and I glued cereal boxes with knives stuck in them to ourselves and went as 'cereal killers" now, I realize this may not be appropriate for your little ones but I'm sure your think of something! Just make Eloise go as the gerberbaby! haha:)
I don't accept Fall until October 1. My youngest demanded we order her costume this past weekend. Where does this come from?!
Ah Bah Humbug!! Just got to tell yourself...to each their own. If the neighbor wants to spend $60 on decorations...so be it! Just cause you can't...don't poo poo others who do. Now, I totally agree with you that some parents do go overboard with the holidays, but again...that is them. Don't feel bad about telling your daughter no. I know she is still young, but just tell her that Mommy can spend XX amount on a costume and that's that! You can still make the holidays special without feeling like you are being a tightwad. Just remember the feeling you had awhile ago when you were cleaning out Elizabeth's room...all the things that were not taken care of and you threw out.
And for the record...no I am not a parent that buys $50 costumes for the kids or hundreds of dollars on decorations. Told my boys this year what the max price for costumes were ($25 ea.) and they were fine with that and found something within that price range. PERIOD!
No one in my family....not my sister, not my daughter, not my granddaughter, not me....none of us ever had a store bought costume (of any price). Decorating was pretty much limited to carved pumpkins and corn stalks. It was great. I remember every costume my mother made for me or my sister. I don't think kids will particularly remember being Shrek! Do what feels right for your kids and your family!
True dat!!!
Two of my favorites from when I was a kid were when I dressed up as static cling (great use for those orphaned socks!!) and when my little brother was a hockey puck (two crappy thrift store round black pillows and a couple simple sewn straps)
I always kinda laughed at the store-bought kids. Not in a mean way just like, "seriously, you lazy kid, throw something together and run like hell! (Gotta get max candy per hour!!!) The costumes my mom made are the ones I remember. My first store bought costume was when I was 23 and it was a cowboy hat....and a bottle of jack..... :) Hey don't laugh it worked....
I too do a half ass job for Halloween. I mean come on, they wear the costume for like 15 minutes.
One year I was a picnic for Halloween, my mom cut a hole in a picnic blanket and taped plates/plastic ants/some of our play food on it. and it could be worn over the coat. And I turned out just fine! Well, mostly :)
I definitely could not "make" a costume if my life depended on it. My new thing? EBAY. I just ordered Aidan's costume on there and it cost $11 including shipping. At the store??? $29.99!! Score!!
I think the issue is more of expectations. If your children aren't raised with the expectation of having the most elaborately decorated house or the most expensive costume - then they won't demand it. There are plenty of good suggestions to make a costume, etc.
Parents today have brought all this on themselves. No one should be spending that kind of money on a costume that usually is worn once for a small child - it's ridiculous and wasteful.
I don't do Halloween. I don't like the holiday...it has become a time when people hurt children...and I am not buying into it. I don't even give out candy....i keep my light off. I agree...Holidays are really getting to big for their britches....and the prices are ridiculous....and it is wasteful....and all that candy and crap adds to childhood obesity. Whew...thanks for letting me vent.
I don't do Halloween. I don't like the holiday...it has become a time when people hurt children...and I am not buying into it. I don't even give out candy....i keep my light off. I agree...Holidays are really getting to big for their britches....and the prices are ridiculous....and it is wasteful....and all that candy and crap adds to childhood obesity. Whew...thanks for letting me vent.
I am going to be better this year about not buying so much candy in case I run out...if we run out the light is going out.
When I read that Elizabeth wanted to be Dorothy I remembered seeing this article about how to make one without sewing...who knows if is actually as easy as they make it sound but thought I'd pass the link along to you. http://familyfun.go.com/halloween/halloween-kids-costumes/all-halloween-costumes/dorothy-costume-930465/
I bought costumes for the boys last year, for like 80% off or something ridiculous. Aiden has changed his mind, but I don't care...he's wearing that or we'll make something :)
I think I have an adult dorothy costume around here, if you think you could adapt it to fit Elizabeth I'd be happy to ship it to ya. (once I find it, lol, I haven't busted out the Halloween bins yet)
We got P's costume from a kids consignment store, $6, it's a chicken. Maybe try one of those places? I wanted a costume but even $20 on something she may not even wear would be a HUGE waste.
Never feel bad, she will understand when she's older how frivolous it is.
I am so over the holidays. All of them. I mean the Christmas stuff is already out and people are already talking about how many shopping days are left. Ugh. When I was a kid we made our costumes and I still loved Halloween. We got one "big" present for Christmas and then stocking suffers like gum or movie tickets. And we valued our toys, because we knew if they were torn up they wouldn't be replaced. I wish more kids today were raised to value the true meaning of holidays, not the material trappings.
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