Halloween 2020: Tips for Trick-or-Treating During COVID-19

Halloween is right around the corner -- which means if you're a parent of a young child, it's time to prepare for trick-or-treating. This year, things are different. It's an unprecedented time that's especially hard for kids to understand. However, the way you approach Halloween -- and upcoming holidays in general -- will set the tone for making memories that are different than usual... but still just as fun as ever.

1. BE SAFE - Ensure you are practicing appropriate social distancing guidelines. Encourage your child (over the age of 2) to wear a face mask with his or her costume. In fact, take the opportunity to make mask-wearing exciting. Find a costume idea that incorporates the mask. At HALOLIFE, we have a small sized HALOmask that typically fits children ages 4+, includes a Nanofilter and is a great addition to any Halloween costume.

2. BE PATIENT - Take a breath... We're all in this together. It may seem stressful and chaotic to have a bunch of kids on a sugar rush running around your neighborhood -- because it is -- but acknowledge the feelings of your child too. Many children look forward to Halloween as a chance to be silly, wild and wacky! Be patient with them as they navigate keeping a face mask secure, following extra steps such as washing hands or keeping distance from friends. The more patient you are, the more they will be as well.

3. BE SMART - In addition to staying calm, make sure to also stay extra alert... so your kids don't have to. If you notice there are large crowds of trick-or-treaters and you no longer feel that you can keep your child from interacting too closely with too many people, have a back-up plan. Bring hand sanitizer if your child is able to wear his or her mask properly for long periods of time. If your child becomes fussy with the mask, switch things up, but make it fun! Perhaps set up a scavenger hunt in your house instead, where treats are hidden under pillow cushions and in cabinets.

4. BE KIND - Kindness is at the heart of every successful holiday. Be kind to your child, to yourself and to those around you. Halloween is a time to dress up, let loose and be anyone you wish to be -- and it's a great opportunity to (safely) have a bit of normalcy with family and friends.

Additionally, here are a few more important tips to remember as we approach Halloween 2020:

- For especially young children, start teaching now how to properly wear a mask. Consider wearing it around the house during playtime and correcting when he or she starts to touch it too much. Making it fun now will ensure it's much easier when it needs to be worn "for real" during trick-or-treating.

- Bring hand sanitizer and use it regularly. Ensure it is a CDC approved formula that will kill germs at the rate needed when exchanging candy and goodies.

- Don't force yourself out of your comfort zone. If you don't want to take your child trick-or-treating because you're worried about exposure to a loved one or just aren't comfortable with the concept of being around groups of people (even with a mask on), DON'T! There are plenty of ways to have an INCREDIBLE Halloween at home. Watch movies, create a scavenger hunt, bake cookies, carve pumpkins. The night is yours!

Do you have any tips or experiences you'd like to share? Comment below!