Parenting Guru: Halloween, Bring it On!

I love Halloween. The trick or treating, the haunted houses, the kids in costumes, the decorations, the candy! It's even better than Valentine's Day, because you get to dress up.

When my kids were little and had no choice but to hang with the hubby and I on Halloween, friends would gather at our house for a quick pizza dinner and homemade spooky cupcakes (which isn't a stretch since most of what I make looks spooky anyway) before we hit the streets in search of candy.

Wearing my pumpkin sweater and light-up Frankenstein earrings, and Monster Mash blaring in the background, I'd give each child a flashlight and then we'd march the Ninja, Spiderman, Hershey's Kiss, and Powerpuff Girl past the "witch that crashed into the door" decoration proudly hanging on our front door. And the adventure would begin.

The best part about Trick or Treating is the thrill of the hunt. Finding the brightly lit houses brimming with candy to be given away and the look of sheer delight when they scream "Trick or Treat" while they hold their buckets out in front of them.

When the buckets got too heavy or someone had to pee, it was time to head back home. That's when the real fun began. We'd dump the candy on the kitchen table so we could survey the loot. Each child got to pick out a few pieces. "Let me test this first to make sure it's safe" I'd say reaching for the Reese's. Poor sweet naifs fell for it every time until my Ninja turned ten and filled in the little Powerpuff Girl. They were on to me. Next time, I'll bring my own bucket.

Enjoy a safe and spooky Halloween!

Do you love Halloween too? Do your kids share their candy with you?

Carpool Goddess is a Yahoo Shine Parenting Guru (for real, it's not a costume). When not sneaking her kids' Halloween candy from the pantry, you can find her Trick or "Tweeting" and on Facebook.