Trick or Treating in a New Neighborhood: Moving Tips for Families

If you’ve successfully completed a local or long distance move shortly before Halloween, your kids are probably concerned about how they’re going to celebrate the holiday in their new town. We’ve gathered tips from experienced parents who have completed several moves with their children. Here’s what they have to share:

Talk to Other Parents to Find Out What’s Going On

Every community has its own approach to Halloween. Some have organized parades and parties while others are more ‘everyone does their own thing.’ Trick or treating can be a door-to-door event or centralized at a location like a school, shopping mall, or park. Talk to other parents or the staff at your children’s school to find out how things work where you are now.

Follow Basic Safety Rules

When you don’t know who your neighbors are, deciding where to take the children trick or treating can seem overwhelming. Follow the basic safety rules: go only to well-lit houses where the residents appear to be enthusiastically engaged with the idea of celebrating Halloween. Cheerful decorations, colorful lights and jack o’ lanterns are all good signs. If a house is dark or the décor is too menacing for your little ones, give it a pass and move on to the next place.

Plan On Sticking Together

Parents will want to keep an especially watchful eye to make sure everyone sticks together throughout the evening. Halloween can be overwhelming; throw in the fact you’re in a strange, new neighborhood and everyone might not be entirely sure of how to get home on their own if they become separated and the value of sticking together becomes clear. Pro tip: make sure the new home’s address is already loaded in the GPS on your kid’s phones.