If we make it all about the kids.
 | By Jyoti Thottam Deputy Op-Ed Editor |
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Children of a certain age start talking about Halloween the minute the leaves change color. That’s certainly true in my household. I’m not a big fan of the piles of leftover candy, but I have come to enjoy plotting with my children about “who they’ll be” for Halloween. In recent years, they’ve transformed themselves into Moana, Cleopatra, Wonder Woman, Mary Poppins and (my personal favorite) Lin Manuel-Miranda as Alexander Hamilton. |
This year? The planning is about whether to celebrate Halloween at all. |
It feels frivolous when New York and many other cities are bracing for the possibility of a second lockdown — or are already experiencing a version of it. But then again, so much of these past few months has been about preserving or celebrating moments that might feel frivolous if they were not also so precious — the first day of remote school, a friend’s birthday party on a backyard deck, video messages to mark a milestone anniversary instead of a visit. Every one of them is a calculation, based on the best information we have. |
One of our contributing writers, Aaron Carroll, a professor of pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine, has become a trusted guide for Times Opinion readers who are making these choices about risk. In his essay today, he argues that there are ways to make Halloween safer for children, even in a pandemic. That position puts him at odds with the guidance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has labeled traditional trick-or-treating a “high-risk” activity. |
Aaron believes it’s not as simple as labeling things safe or unsafe. “It’s possible to do all of these things more safely and less safely. Our goal should be to look at each activity and ask, ‘How can we do this as safely as possible?’” He suggests strategies like staggering the trick-or-treating hours by age, laying out individually wrapped treats and applying lots and lots of hand sanitizer. It’s a different kind of Covid-19 response work, which “we have too often avoided because it’s too hard or too tiring or too expensive.” |
Who will we be this year? My kids are considering Laura Ingalls Wilder, or maybe Princess Leia (again). And as parents we have to decide if we’re ready to take on the role of neighborhood public health monitor. |
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