Parenting in the Pandemic: How about Halloween?

We really love Halloween. Normally we go trick or treating around the village, and in the evening, we meet up with costumed geek friends at California Pizza Kitchen in BGC.

Clearly the pandemic changed all that.

Last year, we made arrangements with friends and relatives. We would do a quick drive by and they would give him candy. He wore his Paw Patrol costume, and we went from my mom’s house in Antipolo to our relatives in Marikina, then three stops in Cubao, Quezon City, before an outdoor meetup in Pasig. We went home tired but happy.

This year, I had no energy to make such arrangements or travel so far. Luckily, a neighbor made a suggestion in the village Facebook group for physically-distanced, pandemic-safe trick-or-treating, and so many people were on board with it! She recommended that each household that was willing to give out candy just pack them in small bags or packages, and leave them on a table outside their house. No need for the homeowner to hand out the candy; each child can just pick one from the basket or box. The participating houses shared their addresses, how many packs of candy they would prepare, and what time kids could pass by to get treats.

I was so happy that I immediately ordered candy and chocolate from the grocery, and we started packing! We had so many plastic containers, from the medical meals we ordered daily for Dad, so we used those. We spent an afternoon preparing the candy, and Lucas was so excited while preparing the boxes.

We set up a table outside, and prepared little signs too!

Then we set out for our own trick or treat, driving to each address, getting down to get candy, then back in the car to go to the next house.

It was so festive and fun. We saw other cars with little kids, doing the same thing we were. We often encountered the same cars and the same families at different addresses. Some groups of older kids walked from house to house. At each house, the people giving out the candy seemed to be having as much fun as the kids getting the treats.