The Halloween Blues

Halloween was once thought to be strictly for kids. Adult involvement was merely recruited to watch the kids on their trick or treat rounds. For us baby boomers, dressing up for Halloween has become the norm for the last 15 years or so. Costume contests have taken place each year at the various places I have worked, from large corporations to small companies. In fact, on Halloween day I am one of the judges of the Halloween costume contest at work. To me, dressing up for Halloween has become a normal part of the society in the USA.

My daughter is in the 8th grade. She has been planning her Halloween costume for several weeks now. The day before Halloween her school teacher informs the class that they could not wear their Halloween costumes all day but they were to change into them at 1pm for a short parade then change out of them again. The reason the teacher told them that was to "prepare them for high school". Her school is a K though 8th grade and has only 250 students. Her class is the only one out of the whole school to be treated that way with the Halloween costumes. As an added twist to the tale, my daughter's best friend is now in high school and her school will be allowing the kids to dress up in their Halloween costumes all day long. Needless to say that both my daughter and most of her classmates are a little upset with their teacher's decision.

What her teacher taught was not how to act grown up but how to react to being singled out and discriminated against. The teacher unfairly chose to put limits on his class that hurt the feelings of his students, not because of academics but because of a whim his part. What he failed to realize is the fact that his students are still only 13 and 14 year olds and NOT grown-ups. To treat them like an adult is unfair to their mental well being. He isn't the one that will have to deal with the emotions of the children when they get home from school, we as parents do. We are the ones that have to convince them to put up with treatment like that (even though in our minds they shouldn't have to) since they will encounter similar treatment when they get older.

A lesson not well learned nor appreciated.