This is a guest post by Reesa from MommaLew – check her out there!
The following post is sponsored by TYLENOL®.
While Halloween is meant to be all in good fun, for many children it’s stressful and frightening. As a mom, it’s heartbreaking to see your child not enjoying him/herself. I noticed my son, now 6, has always been a bit weary of Halloween. My first instinct was to push him to get over his fears. But, I quickly learned this was the completely wrong action. The more I pushed, the more he retreated. I had to learn that this was not about me and what I wanted.
You see, Halloween just hasn’t had the best reputation around here. My son’s real Halloween was when he was a little over two and a half. He was Buzz Lightyear and I was so thrilled to show him off. We went to a Halloween party geared towards children under 10 years old and within the first five minutes, a teenager dressed in a very scary zombie costume came my son’s way. After that, we couldn’t even console my son and had to leave the party. He refused to go trick-or-treating as well. Needless to say Halloween that year was ruined. When you become a parent, you live for these moments of “firsts” with your kids and it is so disappointing when the scenarios in your head don’t play out.
The next Halloween was completely derailed thanks to Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey on October 29, 2014. With the majority of our state out of power and displaced, Halloween just didn’t feel right. The state changed the date of Halloween to the week after and if you can believe it, it was freezing and snowing. Last year? My son got croup ON Halloween and had to forgo trick-or-treating for a trip to the pediatrician for a nebulizer treatment instead.
At this point, it would be easy to just give up on Halloween, right? Not this mom! This year, I really have to say this is the first time I have seen my children so excited for Halloween. They’re so thrilled to dress up for their school parades and parties and trick-or-treat with their friends. We’ve smiled through it all.
How do you help your children smile when the going gets tough? Join TYLENOL® – a brand relied upon by moms for nearly 60 years – by SMILING IT FORWARD™. Upload a photo that makes you smile and $1 will be donated to Children’s Health Fund to help ensure a doctor’s visit is always within reach for children in need.
Mark your calendars for our #SmilingItForward Twitter party on November 5th at 11am PST/ 2pm EST!
I have received information and materials from McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., the makers of TYLENOL®. The opinions stated are my own. This is a sponsored post.
* Between June 23, 2014 and November 30, 2014, McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., the makers of TYLENOL® is inviting anyone 18 and older to upload a “smile” photo on the TYLENOL® Facebook page. Each approved “smile” will trigger a $1 donation from TYLENOL® to Children’s Health Fund, with a minimum donation of $75,000 and a maximum donation of $100,000. Review Terms and Conditions for complete program details. For information about Children’s Health Fund, visitwww.childrenshealthfund.org.
