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Only Treats, No Tricks
Have a Happy Baby-safe Halloween
By Shannon McKelden
Even if they do want the candy, there are other fun ways to celebrate. Jo Graeber of Anderson, S.C., had five kids under 10, including three toddlers. "After a bout of someone slipping a raw egg into my 4-year-old's goody bag ... to just going to places like the mall, and then pushing and shoving in the mobs of teens and tweens, trying to protect my little ones from getting squished, I knew I had to change my tactics."
Graeber's family started Home Halloween, which included making their own decorations and treats, and not answering the door. "We watched Halloween movies – Disney type, not horror – until they got older," she says. "We had our own party. We were safe, our food was safe, they got to make their own choices of candy and party foods. Things were 'relaxed' for that one night, such as eating as much as [they wanted] (and I didn't have to check out the candy for bad stuff and we didn't have tons of candy to rot teeth for the next week). No one got run over or almost hit by a car or attacked by older kids for their goodies. Weather was not a factor." Home Halloween was a great success.
"My kids never complained, and on occasion, they were allowed to invite friends over to join us, which was an even bigger hit with the kids," Graeber says.
With a little pre-planning and some creativity, Halloween can be fun and safe, even for the tiniest of ghosts and goblins.
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