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Whiny Wednesday: Haunted by Halloween

October 25, 2017

Next Tuesday is Halloween, which for many of us means streams of cute children knocking on our front doors.

Love it or hate it; it’s hard to avoid it. So the discussion topic for this week is:

How do you handle this difficult holiday?

As it’s Whiny Wednesday, there’s room for your gripes here, too.

Filed Under: Childless Not By Choice, Children, Current Affairs, The Childfree Life: Issues and Attitudes, Whiny Wednesdays Tagged With: child free, child-free living, childfree, childfree-not-by-choice, childless, childless not by choice, fb, grief, healing, holidays, life without baby, support, Whine, whiny wednesday

Comments

  1. Heather says

    October 25, 2017 at 6:54 am

    we used to force ourselves to hand out candy so we could be ‘neighbourly’, but it just got too hard. So now we turn all the lights out, leave the house and go out to dinner. It’s the BEST night to go out to dinner – literally never any kids in the resto – only other grown ups:) It’s a great date night:)

  2. Kristine says

    October 25, 2017 at 8:31 am

    My husband and I go out to dinner at a hotel bar, or a nice restaurant. He will usually make a joke about how he “rented out” the restaurant because it’s empty… and I mean empty!!! last year there were only 4 couples eating dinner. There’s no wait, we walk in, walk straight to the bar, get served even before we sit down (because we are the only ones at the bar!!) – it’s really lovely!!! Try it!!

  3. Brandi Lytle says

    October 25, 2017 at 8:54 am

    I always buy a Halloween dress for our Pom, Maddie. I take pictures of her in front of our pumpkins. 🙂

    For the past several years, my hubby and I have gone to an adults-only costume party. This year, we plan to stay home and watch scary movies. (We live on land, so no trick-or-treaters for us.)

    We’ve already bought concert tickets for Halloween 2018 & will be taking a trip!

  4. Analia says

    October 25, 2017 at 3:14 pm

    I was invited to a Halloween party at the place I worked and also tutored children (2 to 5 years old). The feelings I have are so inexplicable at this point… I don’t know how to explain.
    I keep on praying for all of us !

  5. Claire says

    October 25, 2017 at 5:50 pm

    There is going to be a trick or treat in our office for the employees’ children. I filed a leave of absence.

    • Brandi Lytle says

      October 26, 2017 at 12:08 pm

      I’m impressed with your strength and think it’s awesome that you are taking care of your emotional well-being. Part of staying strong is knowing our limits…

    • MJ says

      October 26, 2017 at 1:01 pm

      Two questions:
      1. Why do they need to come to your office and trick or treat? Surely there are plenty of other places they can do that. Malls around my area offer that same experience.
      2. Why do parents get time built in to the work day to parade around their kids?
      Seems like a silly and unnecessary tradition created purely for special treatment for parents. There are loads of places around that offer the same experience for kids. Tell the parents to use THEIR own LOAs to celebrate, it doesn’t need to come to the workplace.

  6. Irene says

    October 25, 2017 at 9:59 pm

    I have actively boycotted putting out candy or even answering the door on halloween because i dont have a kid of my own!

  7. ElleVee says

    October 26, 2017 at 6:02 am

    We no longer participate in Halloween. Too painful. Sometimes we go out to dinner but sometimes that feels lonely.

    I have a suggestion for a future Whiny Wednesday: dealing with friends’ poorly behaved children.

    • irene says

      November 1, 2017 at 9:28 am

      yes to that whiny wednesday entry! would love to vent about that too .. the poorly behaved children and their parents who cant handle them

  8. loribeth says

    October 27, 2017 at 3:32 pm

    I wrote a blog post last year explaining my mixed emotions about Halloween. When we were living in our house, I actually looked forward to carving & setting out a pumpkin & seeing the excited little trick or treaters on my doorstep. It was hard sometimes (especially the first few years after we lost our daughter), and the social media posts from friends & relatives of their adorable children in costume sometimes get a bit overwhelming, but I couldn’t imagine NOT participating.

    Then last year, we moved to a condo where it’s mostly adults, in a community where there aren’t even as many houses decorated as there were in our old town. We bought a bit of chocolate, just in case we did get any trick or treaters, but wound up eating it all ourselves. (I suppose there are worse fates, lol.) I didn’t see the point in decorating if we were the only people who were going to see it. (Dh was never big on Halloween & is just as happy that there’s no pumpkin mess to deal with now.) So Halloween is pretty much just another day for us now — and I’m not sure I like it. 🙁

    http://theroadlesstravelledlb.blogspot.ca/2016/10/childlesscondo-halloween.html

    • Brandi Lytle says

      November 1, 2017 at 8:26 am

      I understand. We don’t get any trick-or-treaters, and I wish we did. Usually, we go to an adults-only party. But this year, we are remodeling and it ended up being just another day. It was a bit of a let down, and I’m not going to let that happen again next year!

  9. Nita says

    October 29, 2017 at 5:53 am

    I adopt a neighborhood kid, go with the parent, participate in Trunk or treat
    I join in.
    I love looking at the little gobblins and ghosts because I remember how much I enjoyed it in my childhood.
    My Dad would take me trick or treating in rich neighborhoods
    I also remember an older man running me off.
    He was bitter, now I wonder did he not have children?
    Maybe his wife was deceased and he was mad at the world but whichever he took it out on me an innocent child and
    I have resolved not to be that way.
    I am in no way saying anyone on here is bitter as I have been on the Journey a LONG time
    I am just telling how Halloween is to me.
    Remember take care of yourself first and do what is right for you.

    • Brandi Lytle says

      November 1, 2017 at 8:27 am

      Love this. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

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