What Your Child’s Halloween Costume Indecision Says About You

kids halloween costumeThere is what your kid’s Halloween costume says about you, but the lead up to the ultimate choice isn’t without its own revealing windows. Halloween costume choices come down to a rainbow of influences, as parents of slightly older kids will note that once peers get involved, costume favorites or tendencies tend to change dramatically. But peer pressure aside, even a new TV show or a simple disinterest in the dress up aspect of Halloween can make the decision process a little more arduous than many a parent bargained for.

(photo: faythelevine)

1. If your kid keeps going back and forth between a Halloween classic or an of the moment character

men in black

You already have all the fixings for a cat or a pirate or witch. You’ve accomplished the exhausting try on and it’s all systems go. ONE MAJOR THING OFF YOUR LIST. You’re early and there will be no crazy Halloween store scrambling for you, and go Mom! But lately there have been seem audible mumblings about wanting to be Dora. Or Thomas the Train. What? You nervously watch your kid watch TV and hope that this passes. There is a costume in the other room with the tags removed, after all.

(photo: cnubian)

2. If your kid wants to be what their friends are

princesses

You’d be all for an elaborate group costume but this whole wait around, “well, I want to see what Taylor is going to be for Halloween” makes you feel like you’ve raised a wimp. Where’s the audacity? The independence? The desire to be, you know, what they want to be? Everytime you produce a half way cute costume, your kid says “maybe” or “I don’t know.” It’s all code for checking with the cool hierarchy, you realize.

(photo:  elemess)

3. If your kid fluctuates between princess-y and tomboy-esque costumes

princess and batgirl

Perhaps sparkles and a tutu have always been the go-to costume or vice versa. Perhaps it’s always been firemen or cops or cowboys. Either way, there is some peer influence at play here that disappoints you. It was only last year or so that there was no question about what your kid likes to be for Halloween. And while you’re open to a change in your kid, this change is the kind that means dropping your kid off a couple blocks from school. So soon?

(photo:  tarobaugnon)

4. If your kid is turning up their nose at your homemade costume

robotcostume

Despite that you’ve turned out some truly adorable costumes, this year, your ideas are being met with some resistance and indecision. Suddenly “the sleeves are too puffy” or the waist “fits funny.” And a considerably crappier costume that comes in a bag with a flimsy belt is more exciting than the jumpsuit you made from scratch. You realize raising your kids with homemade costumes hasn’t in fact given them a greater appreciation for things. It just incentivizes them take them for granted. For now.

(photo:  JOBAfunky)

5. If your kid cannot come up with a costume idea

sleeping vadar

You keeping throwing ideas out there and not a one has resulted in a smile. You scan Pinterest, you surf mommy blogs, you emails images to yourself that you hope your kid will like. But. Nothing. It’s like Halloween is too far off for them to care and they keeping asking about candy. Yes, yes, candy. But you need a costume to get that candy. Once again, it’s the old carrot on a stick parenting tactic.

(photo: toydogs)

6. If your kid changes costume ideas every.single.day

halloween masks

Good thing you’re not an overachiever and tried to bang out a Halloween costume in September. To count, your kid has wanted to be every Halloween cornerstone along with the entire cast of Disney movies and a few superheros. You’re nervous to drop money on a costume because chances are by dinner, it will be supplanted by a sudden desire to be a smore. Last minute shopping it is. But there better be no tears when all the princess costumes in your kid’s size are sold out.

(photo:  arteenban)

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