Real Estate Blog - Watch Your Children on Halloween Night

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Watch Your Children on Halloween Night

I was sitting here reminiscing about Halloween night, 40 long years ago in 1969. Believe it or not, we had just moved into a new home, a few days prior to close of escrow. Our real estate agent came unexpectedly to our home, just as my little boy (then aged 4) was dressed and ready to go out trick or treating. While we were a bit distracted with the agent, and were signing some last minute papers, the doorbell continued to ring as children in the neighborhood came to perform their ritualistic trick or treating.

When it was all over and the agent left, I looked for my son, who was nowhere in the house to be found. I panicked as I realized he must have slipped out the door with other trick or treaters, while the business of buying our home was going on.

We managed to find him several blocks away, standing on a street corner, a little upset - a whole lot lost, but had a bag full of candy.

It is important to watch your children Halloween night. It's a different world than it was 40 years ago. . . Just be cautious!

Posted by Myrl Jeffcoat on 10/19/2009 06:55 PM

Comments (23)

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23 Comments on Watch Your Children on Halloween Night

OCT

Yikes!! That would panic me. Glad that your son was OK in the end. I know mine will be. Even at 10 & 11...I tend to hover. :)

Hi Myrl, You are correct. Things have changed tremendously over the years - and we must be so careful too. It's really too bad.

Glad he was okay! You are absolutely right, kids should be with their parents and watched at all times. Its easy for them to get lost in the crowd, especially in a costume.

I can't imagine the panic you must have felt.

It really is a different world. Whether it's because there are a lot more sick people out there now, or with all the technology, we hear about everything immediately after it happens. Regardless the reason, it's a scary world we live in.

On Halloween, as well as every other day, be aware. Be aware of your surroundings and your child's, but most importantly spend time talking with them. It's amazing how much they hear when they pretend they're not listening.

That was a scary night and you are right. It is a different world today.

Correct...I have small grandchildren..that are so precious to us..We will be very careful.

Ginger

Oh my gosh, I would be panic sticken, poor little guy I bet he was upset. I miss seeing the trick or treaters , we don't get any where we live, and that was always a part of Halloween, I really enjoyed.

Hi Myrl, How scary! He must have been terrified but the bag of candy was somewhat of a consolation for him. Glad all turned out well that night. Does he remember it?

Good advice, you just can't be too careful where little kiddos are concerned!

It was a different world back then for us too. It was such fun getting together with family and all the kids in the neighborhood and filling pillowcases with candy! Now, no children even come to homes in our area, but the town has all the stores open and certain houses on a route for the kids. Subdivisions block of streets for the kids and churches have harvest festivals too. Still fun, but not like it was in the good old days. Great reminder to keep an eye out - so easy to get distracted.

Myrl, I would have been terrified....even years ago. When my children were small I'd go with them to get some candy and check every piece and then either have their friends over or go out to eat to keep them off the streets.

OCT

Thanks for the reminder to us all, Myrl! How terrified you must have been discovering that your son had slipped out in all the confusion.

Hi Myrl,

Well, I'm glad the story had a happy ending but how right you are about the world being a different place today!

Steve

I bet you long for the days when we could eat homemade cookies or carmel-covered apples without worrying. But things are what they are nowadays, and using caution is so important. Not just on Halloween but every day. I could not imagine being a kid today. Which kinda makes me sound like an old fart, doesn't it? :)

Hi Myrl,

So glad your story had a happy ending. It is a sad fact that parents do have to be cautious but that said have a fun Halloween.

Best wishes

Sharon

Sandy - Yes, it really is too bad. . .I long for the days when we were kids riding bicycles without helmets, and safely playing on sidewalks without the specters of today's world looming large.

Michael - Costumes add a whole different dimension to Halloween. . .The ole "smoke and mirrors" thing.

Donna - I often wonder, is the world more sick, or is it because the media calls attention to what is actually been happening all along.

Mary - Believe it or not, he was only mildly upset. . .But then, he had a Snickers in one hand, a Baby Ruth in the other, and I believe was chomping on a Tootsie Roll at the time. Kids can somethimes be easily soothed:-)

Shirley - Yes, he remembers it vividly, even though it's been 40 years. The other day he was relieving some of the nuances of that evening. How the bigger kids kind of looked after him for a time, until they needed to head in another direction.

Lee and Carol - I remember experiences similar to whay you write about too.

Carole - I can imagine that Halloween in New York City would be a whole different experience.

Steve - It absolutely is. No questiona about that!

Elizabeth - Oh, I do "long for the days we could eath homemade cookies or carmel-covered apples without worrying" Now it's not only the Halloween night perils that come with that activity, it's the god awful fear of CALORIES:-)

Very important message, thanks for sharing!

Myrl - Very sage advice , You were very lucky your find your son on that corner , I am sure in this day & age the odds would have been alot lower

Myrl, a full bag of candy any way you look at it is GOOD.

OCT

New neighborhood easy to get lost for a little kid, but for parents easy to lose a kid on that night. All the kids in costumes, there could be 10 kids who are all wearing the same costume, it is dark, it can make it tough to tell which child is yours. I agree, be careful, it is a very different world.

Todd Clark - www.LivingBeaverton.com

OMG Myrl you must have been so scared. We "lost" our 4 yr old once when we were in a shopping mall in Buffalo. I think I was screaming out his name and I found him calmly standing in the mall. Even to this day 21 years later nothing fazes him.

I actually just wrote a post about my past halloweens. I have to add some photos and will post tonight.

OCT

What a scarey story. Thank goodness he was fine and you located him quickly. Important post especially after everything that has been in the news this week.

OCT

I was a sophomore at Texas A&M University when Dr. Ronald Clark O'Bryan of Houston laced his children's Pixy Stix with potassium cyanide, killing his young son Timothy. Halloween has never been the same for me, or for millions of other people. Have fun, but be safe.

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