I’m Thankful Halloween Doesn’t Mean Much to Our Little Girl

We’ve been hyper-vigilant about Simone’s severe life threatening multiple food allergies since being diagnosed when she was only 9 months old.
When she was diagnosed with Speech Apraxia and Global Apraxia (I feel global apraxia is resolving) a few years ago, I wondered if she would be able to articulate her disappointment in not being able to go Trick or Treating like the rest of the kids.

There are only two events she understands, Christmas and Birthdays. She doesn’t understand much else in terms of holidays or special occasions.

If you say birthday she thinks of cake, balloons and gifts, and if you say Christmas, she will think of lights, a Christmas tree and gifts.

Simple.

As my kids were growing up, Halloween was all about the costume. Candy was secondary, and when they were very small, I was like the candy Nazi.

I wasn’t one to let my little ones go door to door, but as they grew, I loosened my grip a bit.

With Simone, however, just touching a piece of candy can cause serious harm. If she accidentally put a piece of candy containing something she was allergic to, into her mouth, she could die.

Simmi enjoys getting dressed up, but not in costumes. She doesn’t like to feel itchy fabric against her skin, and she dislikes any tutu fabric.

We don’t have regular cable anymore, and we haven’t had it for four months now, so Simmi basically doesn’t see the commercial programming that happens to children who watch kids channels. She isn’t hounded by commercials telling her which cereal is best, which shoes are the coolest, how having a shopping mall game will automatically make you popular with other girls, or any other programing that goes on.

I think living without commercial advertising is just about the best thing we could have ever done for her and our family.

Beyond television programing, she’s being home-schooled which takes away the school programing of going out to get candy. I don’t mind doing all the spooky decorating, making black cats, witches, snakes, spiders, pumpkins, and cobwebs, but candy…that’s something that is truly life threatening.

I’m thankful Halloween doesn’t mean much to our little girl. It isn’t a word that she understands. At some point, in her own beautiful unraveling of social ques and desire to participate with others, she’ll come around and we’ll be ready with the costume of her choice, and a willingness to show her something new and unexplored. Beautiful.

Beyond Simone, I’d like say something quickly about genetically modified organisms in candy and other commercially prepared treats. Below is a chart of products which contain GMO’s, and if you could, try to purchase candy for your children and other children that don’t contain GMO’s in it.