It’s October and I personally think that means it’s clothing season. Don’t let your child wait until October 31st. Don’t listen to the naysayers who will tell you that we’ve taken Halloween too far and turned the entire month into one giant holiday.
I live in a small town near Salem, Massachusetts, the Halloween capital of the United States. trick and Hubie Halloween All shot here. And the whole area got bigger. To be honest, I think we started preparing around August. There are pumpkins everywhere. The streets are crowded with seasonal tourists. Visiting adults and children are dressed in holiday costumes of witches and pirates. Even in August. Even if I’m stuck in traffic just to go to the grocery store, I’ll have fun doing it.
My kids love costumes; we have a big bucket that we’ve used for costumes since they were little kids. Two years ago, my then 6-year-old son took it to the next level. We ordered a hot dog costume online and he waited patiently. When that package arrived at our door, he rushed to the front door to get it. Of course, he also wanted to try it. What child wouldn’t? But then he wanted to put it on for a test run. I think it’s a little too early to go out in costume. It’s only October! But what’s the harm in taking it out for a spin around the block?
We were less than two doors down from the street and people started honking and waving from their cars. I’m not even kidding—people rolled down their windows and yelled, “Hot Dog Boy!” My son’s reaction was so exciting. He loves attention. We continued walking and walked into a coffee shop where everyone greeted him with smiles and high fives. Seeing Hot Dog Boy makes everyone smile, even though it’s only the first week of October.
It didn’t stop after that day. Dressing up as a hot dog and going for a walk after school became a thing. He loves people’s reactions.
Last year, he found a Jeff Koons-style inflatable balloon dog costume. It’s cute, but bulky, so I don’t think he’ll wear it until Halloween. I was wrong. As soon as we got home, he wanted to take out his new costume and try it on. If we thought the Hot Dog Boy was popular, the Balloon Dog became a local celebrity.
Friends asked to visit him so they could take photos with him. We lived in a walkable neighborhood and everyone got to know him. My somewhat shy kid loved the attention. Little children would hug him. You could tell he felt good and made everyone happy. This makes me understand why people are attracted to jobs at Disney World.
The whole experience really made me wonder why we once Tell kids they can’t wear costumes even outside of Halloween. Children don’t see clothing as anything other than clothes. Of course, there are situations where clothing may look inappropriate. My kids don’t wear costumes to school except on designated days, but other than that, why not? Let them wear the costume to the playground, the grocery store, or even out to dinner. Take countless photos and spend quality time with your kids. Sometimes I dress up in a banana costume and have fun with it.
Katie Elliott is the personal stories editor for Scary Mom. She enjoys cooking, gardening, and chatting with people about everything from how much you love your kids to how much your kids annoy you. She is a mother of two and lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
