Have Fun as a Mom Alone with Kids on Halloween as a Police Family
My police husband, Rick, worked the first few Halloweens when our boys, Maverick and Leonidas, were little. Solo parenting is normal for me as a police wife. Pictured below is Leonidas' first Halloween. Maverick was going to go as Charlie brown, so I was dressing Leonidas up as snoopy. Last minute, Maverick changed his mind to dress as a construction worker. Nobody matched and I wasn't dressed up! My husband Rick didn't like taking time off back then and we didn't prioritize Halloween. I want to tell you a secret about this…
Our boys don't remember that Rick wasn't there.
Of course, Rick hated missing out, and I missed him on those Halloweens alone with our baby and toddler, but our boys don't remember. They are old enough to remember now that they are 6 and 8. Because Rick did want to do special things with our kids, that's why we developed other traditions that weren't dependent on a specific day which I share after these tips for being alone with your kids as a mom on the actual Halloween day.
I wrote a book, Boots by the Door, for children of police officers. It was illustrated by another police wife. We would love you to check it out.
But, what did I do when I was alone with our kids on Halloween as a police family?
As a police family, we have to be flexible. I took our children trick or treating alone or hung out with friends and family. When Maverick, our first, was a baby, I just took him to my aunt’s house and we took him trick or treating at a few of her neighbor’s houses.
After having both of our boys, I loved taking them trick or treating in our neighborhood and giving out candy at our house even if it was literally just me hanging out with them. My boys have always loved handing out candy to trick or treaters. They love seeing everyone’s costumes. We are blessed to have an amazing neighborhood that goes all out for Halloween. My boys and I have an evening tradition in the fall where we take walks and scope out the Halloween decoration. Often, my boys will ask to go to specific neighborhood homes the night or Halloween based on their decorations.
Create Consistency Regardless of Deployment or Shift Work Schedules
I believe there are ways to create consistency and traditions year after year that aren't dependent on the specific holiday day. We don't always get to trick or treat on Halloween day together as a family due to my police husband’s schedule. But,…Here are three traditions you can celebrate as a family or couple that they don't depend on a specific day and time in October.
Visit a Pumpkin Patch
From 2015 to last year, we have visited a pumpkin patch together annually. We used to always visit Underwood Farms, which is famous outside of LA, but it's been costly lately so we have been visiting a normal simpler pumpkin patch, because we found that our boys love running around to see all the pumpkins and pick out their faves.
Carve or Paint a Pumpkin
Rick and I literally carved pumpkins on Zoom together in our first year of marriage, because we were long distance married.. luckily, we are able to work around Rick's schedule and have carved pumpkins together as a family each year in person ever since. The pictured carved pumpkins was when we got a very long pumpkin, and Rick carved it like pickle Rick from Rick and Morty, the show. Leonidas was just a baby, and we thought he would fit perfectly in it! haha..
I wish you the happiest, spookiest Halloween from one mama to another who has been in your shoes entertaining my young children solo. Check out these other resources for solo parenting moms:
Visit a Haunted House or Go to a Spooky Event
A few years ago, Rick saw this Haunted Soiree event in Los Angeles online and we have gone each year ever since. This is an adults only kinda thing and a date night for us, but we also have gone to Nights of the Jack with our kids two years in a row. It's a walk along tour of a million decorated pumpkins with music. Maverick wants to try a haunted house this year. Wish us luck. I'm such a wimp!