Plan Ahead for Ghosts and Goblins When Working Shift Work!
It’s almost Halloween; time for ghosts and goblins, and disappointed kids whose parents have to work. Or maybe you don’t have kids, or yours are grown and out of the house, but you were invited to a Halloween party. Halloween falls on Saturday night this year – a great night for a party! If you didn’t plan ahead to get the night off, it’s probably too late. But, you can still find opportunities to have fun. Here are some great ideas!
Family time and fun with friends often suffers when shift work is involved. But, it doesn’t have to. Here are some ideas of things to do with or without kids to celebrate Halloween (but not necessarily on that day or weekend):
1. Many towns sponsor costume parades for kids (and parents who like to dress up too), through the town hall or schools a few days before Halloween.
2. Some assisted living facilities are celebrating Halloween a few days earlier – imagine the opportunity to fill your sack with candy from over 70 apartments without even stepping outdoors! A child’s greatest fantasy!
3. Invite a psychic over to read cards or palms – this is good for adults and teens too, in fact anyone over age ten would get into it. Dress in costume and make witches goblets of green beer or wine using green food coloring. Or concoct a special witches brew.
4. Make cupcakes and decorate them in Halloween colors; use frosting, sprinkles, and other candy. Even those under age two loves this. Don’t forget to take pictures.
5. Design a fall scavenger hunt using Halloween related things to search for – like candles, goods made out of pumpkin, a witch’s hat, black or green make-up, for example. Get your neighbors involved in the search.
6. Seek out a ghostly hayride and a nearby farm or apple orchard; dress in costume, even if you’re the only ones. Everyone else will enjoy your fun – and you will come home with a lot of great apples too!
7. A few days before Halloween, dress in costume and carve a funny or scary pumpkin. Insert a candle in it and go outside and take a close look at how creative you are (or aren’t).
8. Have a Halloween party a week or two after Halloween. Most kids (and adults) relish the idea of wearing their costumes multiple days.
9. Decorate the outside of your house – put up orange and black lights, gravestone statues and scarecrows or witches made from straw – dress them up in your old clothes. Kids like to make them their own size, wearing their old clothes.
10. Rent a scary movie and invite people over to watch it with you. Serve Halloween candy, popcorn, and orange juice and green cool aid.
Now that you’ve realized the fun you can have despite having to work on Halloween, consider your Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, and New Year’s schedule. Even if you plan ahead, if you work shifts, you’ll have to work some of these holidays. Pick those you want to spend time with and work your schedule around their time off too. This way you make sure you have time with those you care about the most. Look ahead to all the events that occur around these holidays, perhaps these events are good substitutes for being available on the actual holiday. Plan to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving or get a group together to go holiday caroling before the major holidays. Open your mind; there are so many ideas. Just don’t wait until the last minute or you’ll be disappointed – and so will the others you care about. They want to celebrate with you too!
Tags: children, family, friends, Parenting, relaxation, shift work
