When Halloween is around the corner, your child may have his or her eye on the fun activities that go along with the holiday. When your child has an accident, however, that lands her on crutches, trick or treating may no longer be a viable option. When your child is just starting out on crutches, getting around is no longer easy. Much less in a cumbersome costume in the dark. Here are a few alternatives to trick or treating that might help your child get through the holiday while having a little fun at the same time.
Alternative #1: New Trick or Treating venues
The tradition is to simply walk around your neighborhood, ringing doorbells, and shouting trick or treat in order to get candy. There are plenty of other places you could consider, however, especially when your child is on crutches. Ask friends and family members for advice and check into places like malls, church parking lots, schools, and other local areas that have a trick or treating activities. Your child would not have to work as far in these locations, and you might even be able to use a wheelchair to get her from store to store.
Alternative #2: Stay home
While your child may grumble about staying home on Halloween, there are plenty of ways to make it fun. Station her on the porch with a scary mask and have her sit as still as possible with a bowl of candy in her lap. Then, when trick or treaters approach to take some candy, have her move and scare them. She will get to see just as many costumes, and she will get to have a little scary fun of her own.
Alternative #3: Contact friends for reverse trick or treating
If your child is really bummed about missing her normal trick or treating activities, contact some of your friends, neighbors, and nearby family members and ask them to help. Ask each person to package up a bit of the candy they have prepared for their area and deliver it to your child. She will have a good time seeing people she knows and enjoys, and she will get just as much candy as before without having to go through the strenuous work of going door to door on crutches.
Alternative #4: Look into alternative to crutches
Just because you do not feel your child is safe out on Halloween on crutches does not mean she cannot venture out at all. Look into the alternatives to crutches and see if one of the options looks like something that would keep her mobile and safe on Halloween. You might find that the Hands-Free Crutch or the Knee Scooter work so well that she wants to use it for everyday activities after she is finished with her trick or treating session.
For adults, Halloween might be just another day of the week. If you are dealing with a disappointed child, try to take yourself back in time and remind yourself how you felt on a special holiday. By putting yourself in your child’s shoes (or shoe, as the case may be due to her injury) you will inspire your family to think up creative alternatives to the normal trick or treating fun.
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