Happy Fall, everyone! We’re heading into cooler weather, the colors of autumn, another holiday season, and our second Halloween of the COVID-19 pandemic. With vaccinations available and most businesses open, it’s easy to feel like the worst is past us. However, according to data available from Johns Hopkins University, on Labor Day this year, Coronavirus infections were more than four times what we saw on the same weekend in 2020. Hospitalizations are also up from this time last year: conservative estimates say 1.5 times higher. With Halloween being so popular for children, the fact that they cannot get vaccinated is ever more concerning. (Although, by the time this is printed, that may change. I read this morning that preliminary approval has been given for vaccinating children five and older.)
So, how can we keep our children and grandchildren safe this Fall? The safest activities will be outside. Pumpkin patches are always popular and will present less risk than indoor venues (see pages 20-21). If possible, try to go during an off time, such as a weekday evening when it’s less crowded. The larger the crowd, the higher the risk. Be prepared with masks and plenty of hand sanitizer. If you can keep your distance from people while there, that’s even better.
For Halloween itself, you can likely stay reasonably safe if you can find an outdoor “Trunk or Treat” event. Again, try to stay safe from groups, wear your mask (which should be easy for Halloween!), and keep your hands clean.
The riskiest Halloween celebrations will be indoors, with poor ventilation. Use your best judgment: if it looks like people are packed together, don’t go. If you feel you can keep your family a little separated from strangers, you’re probably okay.
As for costumes, why not incorporate a COVID-safe mask? You’ll get more cooperation from your kids if you make the mask part of the fun. Superheroes often wear masks, and a cowboy wears a bandana around his face when he’s rustling those steers. A skeleton costume would include a mask. Doctors and nurses wear masks at work. You can also create masks using fabric and fabric paint that incorporate a mouth and whiskers for different types of cats or dogs, a clown smile, or many other fun things. Use makeup to create the matching face, and you have a fun, safer way for your kids to go trick-or-treating.
The bottom line is, while we have more opportunities to celebrate this year, we still have to be safe and make good choices for our kids and grandkids. Your child may not like the fact that Halloween is still limited. But, as I have said many times (in this column, even), parents set the tone for their child’s attitude. They learn coping skills from the adults they are with every day.
Be safe, creative, and positive…your kids will follow suit. Stay safe, and have a wonderful October.
tricia vlasAK is a mother, grandparent, and wife. She works in law enforcement when she isn’t writing about parenting, hiking with her dogs, or going on adventures.
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