Opinion: We Cannot Cancel Trick or Treating For Halloween 2020
I think we would all agree that 2020 has been a very challenging year.
Between COVID-19 and civil unrest in communities, we have all been affected in some way. But what about the kids? Kids have been deprived of so much this year.
Let's start with school and social interaction. Kids were let out of school in March due to the pandemic and some just recently returned to campus in early September. Think about this, kids have been isolated from their peers for more than half the year.
Not only have our kids been deprived of social interaction for most of 2020, psychologically kids have had to take in a lot and it is time for our kids to be kids again. Kids often comprehend a lot more than we think, and yes it affects them.
I say this because the holidays are approaching and I don't want kids to be deprived anymore. For now, we will concentrate on Halloween.
Communities MUST let kids hit the streets and participate in Trick-Or-Treating festivities. Does it have to look the same in 2020? No, but we cannot take Trick-Or-Treating from kids this Halloween.
And there are ways to make it happen. May I suggest that rather than having kids knock on someone's doors for candy, we leave candy in a bowl at the end of the driveway and kids walk up to the bowl and take their choice of candy.
We have done this in the past at my house and it works, all while kids are still having fun. This would allow for "social distancing" and all will remain safe.
Another thing our community leaders can do to encourage safety this Halloween is to limit group sizes on Trick-Or-Treating night. By discouraging large groups on trailers or in vehicles this decreases the risk of transmitting COVID.
Look, if we use a little common sense we can allow our kids to be kids and enjoy Trick-or-Treating. We have taken enough away from kids in 2020, let's NOT take away some of the Halloween fun we all look forward to.
It is time to let our kids have fun again.