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My Ex Did Trick AND Treat
Even after we separated, I kept this up.
When my ex-husband was growing up, at Halloween his father would always make the kids do a trick for their treat. My husband remembered that as a fun time for both his father and the neighborhood kids, so after we got married, he kept up the tradition.
We’d fill a big bowl with a variety of treats — Kit-Kats, Peanut Butter Cups, and Snickers bars. The children were allowed to choose their treat. But only after they performed a trick!
“It’s not trick or treat,” my ex would say. “We want a trick for a treat!”
We’d explain. “You can tell a joke, sing a song, tell us something you learned in school… anything you like!”
Once the kids got into it, they had a lot of fun.
Little werewolves would howl, little ghosts boo’ed, and teenage mutant ninja turtles yelled “Turtle Power!”
Sometimes groups of children would confer and sing a song or tell jokes together. One boy had learned a poem in school and recited the whole thing. It was a hard poem. He got several extra pieces of candy for his efforts.
The parents were usually beaming because their kids were having so much fun. The littlest ones had the best time. One tiny girl did a cartwheel, another little boy proudly…
