So, my in laws usually fly out here for my son’s birthday which is close to Halloween. Last year their trip here included Halloween and they went trick or treating with us. We just got an email from MIL announcing she booked tickets to come see us for my son’s birthday including Halloween this year.
I had already asked my parents if they would spend Halloween with us this year. My parents have never been with us. They said yes and seemed excited.
Will it be overkill to have all 4 grandparents trick or treating...
The more the merrier! What fun for them to experience the holiday with both sets of grandparents. And how nice of the in-laws to buy tickets to come in for his birthday! Pretty lucky boy!! Have fun...I lost my parents before my kids were born and just love every opportunity with any of the family.
Well, my kids are grown now, but we used to go out in a big group for Halloween. We sometimes had 20 people with cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles and neighbors. The bigger the group, the more fun it was for my kids. Don't fret over this. I will be fun!
As long as you have the room and everyone gets along, I don't see why not.
They will have an exciting time with your son bonding and being busy with birthday and Halloween. Think about your son.
It would be nice if anyone would come visit us on occasion! We are a plane ticket away (our choice) and the only time we see family if is we fly to them or pay for their tickets. Sounds like you have a supportive family, Enjoy it while you can.
Well first off, I understand why you're asking this question. Maybe all the previous responders have perfect parents and perfect in laws and everyone is a happy little family, but mine is not quite so much that. ;-)
And, sometimes it's hard when both grandparents are around because they are both vying for the kid's attention…and if there's only one kid…ay yi yi.
All that being said…I do still think it's fine. :) I'm so fickle right?! Haha! Maybe you can have both grandmas go out trick or treating and leave the grandpas at home, or vice versa. Or maybe one set will be fine letting the other set of gradnparents go on the trick or treat trail, but I would not anticipate that happening. Not to stereotype, but I have a feeling the dads are going to be more flexible in this arena. They probably don't care all that much if they walk the neighborhood with the kids or if they stay home, as long as they get to see the kids in the costumes.
I would however email your in laws and say something like…oh that's so great, we had such fun with you last year. My parents will also be here during the time and they are excited to get to experience Halloween with Son this year too.
And of course you should let your parents know too, but in the end, it really isn't a big deal and your son will be happy to have so much love and excitement around!
As long as they like each other and get along what's the problem? I loved having lots of family around when my kids were little, the more the merrier!
Wish we had this problem. Can't get any parents from any side to bother to visit their grand kiddos. :-(
Definitely have all of them. It may be stressful but your kids will love it and likely remember it for a long time to come! Have fun!
I think it will be fun.. and more help watching the kids..
Not overkill.
Have fun!
No, doesn't seem like a big deal to me. We've gone out with friends and their kids in a big group trick-or-treating and it worked out fine. I don't think it will be complicated at all.
The more the merrier, assuming everyone gets along. How lucky is your son to have four loving grandparent who want to share his life.. Enjoy the moment.
You said yourself that your in-laws "usually" visit this same time every year, so it's not like you didn't know they'd be coming. You could've said something to them ahead of time about the exact timing of their visit. And your parents live 30 minutes away and can see you all any time, unlike your in-laws. I read your original post earlier but didn't have time to respond. This one sounds a lot less accusatory as if your in-laws were trying to inconvenience you.
L.,
I'm sorry - what's the big deal? From where I sit?! THE MORE THE MERRIER!! I would LOVE it if my parents and my husband's parents could come for birthday's!
My mom died in September. My in-laws died (father in March 2013 and mother in May 2006). What I wouldn't give to have parents interested and being a part of my children's lives!!
NOT OVERKILL!! Be excited! Times like these don't always happen. What great memories you can make with this!!
We usually go with a few families so there is like 20 of us. I say its fine. Usually our adults take turns going to the door with the group of kids and we all stay and chat on the street. So Fun!
do they like each other? if so, why not?
on the one hand it's funny that your MIL booked the trip without checking with you, but on a re-read i see that it's a trip they usually make. so you had to have anticipated this, right?
how nice that your parents are able to come this year! hope you all have fun.
khairete
S.
By the way,
here is good coloring pages for helloween:
http://coloring-4kids.com/halloween-vampire-coloring-page...
http://coloring-4kids.com/halloween-jack-olantern-colorin...
http://coloring-4kids.com/halloween-witch-with-moon-color...
No, it will be awesome. You can stay home and hand out candy and the grandparents can do the trick-or-treat circuit.
No, it will be fine. One set can stay home and give out candy.
I think it just depends. Is he going to be 4 or 5? How many homes do you all actually tick or treat at? a group of 6 adults with 1 child is a bit much, but I have seen it here in our neighborhood. I always give the adults candy too. I know they are just excited to see the child or grandchild trick or treating.
Do you all also hand out candy? Will someone stay home to hand it out? Will your son also help for a little while? At 4 he is less aware. At five he may want to trick or treat longer or to actually hand out candy, so ask him.
Do you all trick or treat and have a party all on the same night?
Or do you have a Birthday Breakfast and then Trick or Treat at night?
My nieces Birthday is also on Halloween. Sometimes, they had the Birthday celebration (Party) on another day like during the weekend and just sang Happy Birthday at Breakfast on the 31st and then she looked forward to Trick or Treating that night.
She looks at the month of October more as her Birthday month! Ha! Because as a family with lots of divorced grandparents and the 2 parents. She celebrates her birthday over and over with each group at some point that month!
We kind of all grew up like this. Since we came from working families, if our birthdays fell during the work or school week, we had our parties on the weekend before or after the actual date and our immediate family sang to us at Breakfast or at dinner on the actual day.. and we would get phone calls from friends and relatives to sing to us if they would not see us that day.
Over lap the visit for Halloween. There are parties and all sort of activities all week for Halloween. Do as many as you can with the in-laws. Have them go home on Saturday or Sunday.
Have your parents come Thursday or Friday then stay that next week. They can all go trick or treating with kiddo.
My thoughts are that if in-laws have done parties all over town all week for Halloween they may be less likely to want to go walk around with kiddo. BUT even if they do then all 4 grandparents can walk around with kiddo. Not a problem. The more the merrier.
If it was me I'd simply let everyone have part in this evening and then overlap just a day or two.
I don't think it's overkill. I never grew up with grandparents, they all died before I was even 5, so I never got to meet them. If they all get along, it sounds like a swell time, I know I would have loved that. If they don't get along and you think it will be awkward or there will be some fighting, I have an idea for you: why not have one set of grandparents walk one block, and the other set walk the other block? My daughter likes going with her cousin for a bit, so I let them walk a few blocks east together, and then when they get back, I walk the west side of the street with my daughter, that way we both get to share her, she gets to have fun with both of us, and my daughter gets to walk around, showing off her costume, and still collecting candy, uninterrupted. That might be a suggestion, especially if the grandparents are elderly and can't walk as much as your kid would want them to, just have them take turns!
I have seen families doing Halloween parties on their lawn, with scary music, ghoulish snacks, and handing out candy to trick or treaters, so that could be another alternative, have one set of grandparents linger and chat with you all after the party, and when the other set returns from trick or treating, have them switch places and have the exhausted grandparents sit and relax while watching the costumes, chatting, and handing out candy, and the other goes trick or treating with your son. When he is too tired, they can all sit and continue the party, bring out a cake, etc.
