Drama with Halloween Costumes...

So I thought I was being smart every year when I let the kids pick their own Halloween costumes. Except for that first year or two of life, I’ve always let the kids pick what they wanted to dress up as. I assumed that this would make my life easier…no fighting! So back in September when we were away for the weekend and we stopped at Cracker Barrel and were looking at Halloween costumes and Kylie wanted to get the long red velvet dress, I asked her over and over again if she was sure this is what she wanted. The costume was technically a queen, but she was going to wear it as a vampire princess. She assured me, all through lunch that she wanted it, so we bought it.

Around the beginning of October I started hounding Josh about what he wanted to dress up as, and he finally decided he wanted to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Again, I spent the next week asking him over and over again if he was sure that was what he wanted to be, and he told me over and over again he was sure.

Starting about 3 weeks ago Kylie started complaining that kids were going to make fun of her costume. She said they were going to think she was a princess. I told her that she was wrong (princesses usually don’t wear long dark red and black velvet dresses) and that her teeth and make-up would make her look like a vampire. It finally got to the point that I told her if she complained one more time about the costume SHE PICKED OUT she was not going to go trick-or-treating.

Then last night at dinner Josh started complaining! He started saying that kids were going to make fun of him because “everyone” else will be dressed up as something scary. We reminded him that he just went to a Halloween party where 1.) there were lots of kids not dressed up as something scary; and 2.) no one made fun of him. Again, I told the kids that if I heard another word they would be sitting with me around the fire Monday night instead of trick-or-treating with the daddies.

Seriously??? Where did I go wrong? I know one day we’ll look back at this and Kylie will wonder why she was so worked up about it, but in the moment right now it’s really frustrating!