It's not much of a hardship given what's happening in the world, but I tried to be gentle when I told my kids that we're effectively canceling Halloween. I also told them it won't be the first time in their lives. They don't remember that in 2011, an early snowstorm in 2011 brought down trees and power lines, making it too dangerous to trick-or-treat, and in 2012, Hurricane Sandy derailed the holiday again. I used this TIME story about Halloween during the 1918 flu pandemic as a teachable moment. History really does repeat itself.
But for children—and for an adult who loves candy—it's another disappointment on top of many that have piled up this year. Partly because I'm a sucker, but mostly because I love candy, I offered to buy big bags of treats even though we won't be welcoming trick-or-treaters. My offer was accepted, but without excitement. There's something undeniably special about the process of accumulation that can't be replaced. And their favorite part—trading and sorting their spoils (check out Rosie's last year)—isn't the same when the candy comes straight from the store.
As with almost everything about the pandemic, my daughters took the news in stride. I'm the one who feels the loss. Halloween is a holiday for the very young, and I loved holding their tiny hands as they rang doorbells, carrying them home when they got too tired, and eating their candy after I put them to sleep. My guess is that by next year, if there's a real Halloween, I'll be relegated to hanging back by a block.
If you have little ones, tell me about their costumes. If you have older children, share some memories with me. You can find me at andrea@time.com. I'll be on my couch all weekend, eating peanut-butter cups straight from the bag.
Author Lynn Steger Strong writes that when she's always with her children, it's difficult to think of herself as other than a mother.
"As we're seeing so acutely now, our society falls apart without access to the care that our families need, including childcare, elder care, long-term services and supports for people with disabilities, and paid time off from work," writes Ai-jen Poo. She recommends policy fixes that could help.
This article tackles the big question on every parent's mind right now: Is there any safe way to socialize indoors this winter?
Author Beth Nguyen writes about how, as a child, she turned to baking as a form of self-care. "I knew two things for sure," she writes. "Everyone feels a little better when presented with cake, and everything feels a little better when there's cake."
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