Kids" Halloween Costumes - Lazy to Fancy, As Long As It"s Different
Lots of kids' Halloween costumes paraded for hours in front of my house last year.
Some had wrapped themselves around boys, some around girls.
Most girls were young, 6 years old or younger.
Most boys were under 9.
A few were older.
What's cute on a toddler is not cute on a 13-year old, if you ask me.
The older boys went for scary, the same kind of scary.
I saw lots of vampires, and Freddie's, and a few headless men.
I also so a lot of the same girl outfits.
I expect this year will be the same.
With one difference: Avatar's success will send a lot of Avatar characters my way.
Maybe I'll see a lot of Harry Potter and friends too.
They were quite cute when they were younger (the characters, I mean).
Last year I also got a boy in jeans and nondescript sweat shirt, a jacket, a school backpack.
He said, "Trick or treat.
" That's got nothing to do with kids' Halloween costumes, I thought.
I said, "What are you supposed to be?" He, 11 or 12 years old, said, "School boy.
" The outfit was, actually, perfect.
I haven't yet decided whether that was creative or lazy and stupid.
But it was different.
And different is good.
Even when it comes to kids' Halloween Costumes.
I looked though Halloween pictures with my oldest daughter this morning.
She's six.
She was dismayed that she'd been Cinderella in two of the six years she's been Halloweening.
Don't scream at me, it's her word.
She really said, 'Halloweening.
' By the way, now she wants to be a bat, a scary bat.
Her sister, who's five, wants to be a bat too.
The cute kind.
They specifically said they're tired of princess Halloween costumes.
("Princesses are boring.
They don't do anything but wait to be saved," was my oldest verdict.
What my oldest says is what my youngest says too.
Fairy Halloween costumes are too much like princess Halloween costumes, that's why those are out.
Dora, Diego, Mickey Mouse Halloween costumes, and all costumes like those, they're boring.
I did not know that.
I thought our kids' Halloween costumes would be based on some Disney show (based on the ungodly numbers of hours my daughters spent in front of the TV watching some Disney show or other.
Go figure.
Anyway, lazy or fancy or whatnot, your child wants different - on top of everything else she or he says.
Except, most of them don't express it.
So, do something different.
Maybe the different can be how you get the costume.
Maybe it's what you do.
If you usually go trick or treating, have a party.
Could even be a trick or treating party.
My daughters would love that, I think.
Trick or treat friends' houses, with long stops for eating, screaming, dancing, or whatever you do.
A movable party, that is.
Of course, you need friends who live close by, the logistics are not easy.
Appetizers at Aunt Jenny's house, 30 minutes.
Juice at Mike and Martha's house, 10 minutes.
Pizza at Uncle Ted's house, 30 minutes.
Of course, before going into anyone's house, you'd have to knock on a few doors, the kids would have to say 'Trick or treat' a few times.
And, of course, kids' Halloween costumes do have to be embracing them, or else it's too different.
Some had wrapped themselves around boys, some around girls.
Most girls were young, 6 years old or younger.
Most boys were under 9.
A few were older.
What's cute on a toddler is not cute on a 13-year old, if you ask me.
The older boys went for scary, the same kind of scary.
I saw lots of vampires, and Freddie's, and a few headless men.
I also so a lot of the same girl outfits.
I expect this year will be the same.
With one difference: Avatar's success will send a lot of Avatar characters my way.
Maybe I'll see a lot of Harry Potter and friends too.
They were quite cute when they were younger (the characters, I mean).
Last year I also got a boy in jeans and nondescript sweat shirt, a jacket, a school backpack.
He said, "Trick or treat.
" That's got nothing to do with kids' Halloween costumes, I thought.
I said, "What are you supposed to be?" He, 11 or 12 years old, said, "School boy.
" The outfit was, actually, perfect.
I haven't yet decided whether that was creative or lazy and stupid.
But it was different.
And different is good.
Even when it comes to kids' Halloween Costumes.
I looked though Halloween pictures with my oldest daughter this morning.
She's six.
She was dismayed that she'd been Cinderella in two of the six years she's been Halloweening.
Don't scream at me, it's her word.
She really said, 'Halloweening.
' By the way, now she wants to be a bat, a scary bat.
Her sister, who's five, wants to be a bat too.
The cute kind.
They specifically said they're tired of princess Halloween costumes.
("Princesses are boring.
They don't do anything but wait to be saved," was my oldest verdict.
What my oldest says is what my youngest says too.
Fairy Halloween costumes are too much like princess Halloween costumes, that's why those are out.
Dora, Diego, Mickey Mouse Halloween costumes, and all costumes like those, they're boring.
I did not know that.
I thought our kids' Halloween costumes would be based on some Disney show (based on the ungodly numbers of hours my daughters spent in front of the TV watching some Disney show or other.
Go figure.
Anyway, lazy or fancy or whatnot, your child wants different - on top of everything else she or he says.
Except, most of them don't express it.
So, do something different.
Maybe the different can be how you get the costume.
Maybe it's what you do.
If you usually go trick or treating, have a party.
Could even be a trick or treating party.
My daughters would love that, I think.
Trick or treat friends' houses, with long stops for eating, screaming, dancing, or whatever you do.
A movable party, that is.
Of course, you need friends who live close by, the logistics are not easy.
Appetizers at Aunt Jenny's house, 30 minutes.
Juice at Mike and Martha's house, 10 minutes.
Pizza at Uncle Ted's house, 30 minutes.
Of course, before going into anyone's house, you'd have to knock on a few doors, the kids would have to say 'Trick or treat' a few times.
And, of course, kids' Halloween costumes do have to be embracing them, or else it's too different.