When my kids were in primary school, Halloween was one of my favourite nights of the year. I used to host a big get-together at our place, the kind of “family-friendly” party that, in hindsight, was really more for the parents than the kids.
Everyone would meet at mine for pre-drinks before trick-or-treating. The kids would be bouncing off the walls with excitement, and the mums? Well, we’d have our cocktails poured into keep cups, ready for the walk around the neighbourhood. It was a whole event filled with laughter, chatter, and plenty of top-ups along the way. Afterwards, we’d come back to my house, order pizza, and keep the night rolling while the kids lived their best sugar-high lives.
It always fell on a school night, so you can imagine what the next morning looked like. Bleary-eyed parents dragging themselves through work and school drop-off, feeling more like the zombies we’d seen in costume the night before.
Once I started reassessing how alcohol was showing up in my life, Halloween was one of the first “traditions” I decided to change. I realised how much of the evening revolved around drinking and how little I was actually present for the kids’ fun. So I gave it a complete overhaul.
I filled the house with decorations for the kids to come home to. I made novelty snacks, organised Halloween-themed crafts and games, and focused on the part that really mattered: the pure joy of it all. The giggles when they compared lolly hauls. The excitement of knocking on each new door. The simple fun of being together.
Now that my kids are teenagers, it looks different again, but I’m so grateful for pulling the pin on the boozy parties in favour of sitting in the fun of the moment and soaking up the memories.
If you’ve ever noticed alcohol sneaking into every occasion: birthdays, holidays, even kids’ events – this is your reminder that it doesn’t have to. The best memories come from being truly present, NOT from what’s in your glass / keep cup.
Written by Ange Chappel, Founder of Mind The Sip
Mind The Sip Socials
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