Life as a SEN mum

It’s that time of year again. Amidst the changing weather, we can officially welcome spooky season.

I know not everyone is a fan of Halloween, but I personally love it, and the fact that it is becoming bigger and more “Americanised” for me is amazing. Although I do still sit and see videos on social media of the decor that is available in the States and do get a tiny bit jealous. Even if deep down I know I’d never be able to store half the stuff. But if it’s not something you’re into, that’s ok.

I say this every year, but, social media really does have a way of stressing everyone and making us feel like we aren’t doing enough. All the pictures of pumpkin patches and now boo baskets. It’s never ending. It’s ok if you don’t do any of those things. We don’t do boo baskets, yes I have done something similar, but only ever small things, a book, craft and one of those little wind up toys. James isn’t bothered by trick or treating, he prefers to give out the sweets, and where we live no one really does Halloween anyway, so it’s just a little something to do on the day itself. But some of the things you see make it seem like we should be going out and spending a fortune. I can’t help but ask myself why? This time of year particularly is already a lot for people financially, particularly in the current climate, do we need to be buying our kids more stuff? Absolutely not. If you do then that’s fine, but there is no reason we should be doing anything just because of social media.

The same goes for pumpkin patches, I do love pumpkin picking, and yes we do more than one each year, although given the weather I don’t know how that’s going to work out. But I’m always looking for the best value. You can actually find some relatively cheap and that do reasonably priced pumpkins. I’m always on the hunt for the biggest pumpkins I can find, and supermarkets just don’t quite cut it. But when looking, I have seen some patches where they draw you in, offering lots of things for the kids to do, but when you actually look at the cost of all the extras, before you know it you can be spending in the region of £100 for a family of 4!! That’s before you buy your pumpkins, and end up running past any fairground rides to distract the kids. If you are wanting a big day out, there are lots of farms that will offer a free pumpkin per child with admission.

Of course we all want those nice photos, but it’s important that those photos reflect the memory. If that memory is overshadowed by the stress of money, or a feeling of just doing it because everyone else is, then those aren’t the memories you’ll cherish, and it’s just not going to be worth it.

If you do want to be able to soak in all the fun of halloween you really can do it on a budget. Start by making the most of the season and going out for woodland walks. You’ll find some places that will also do free trails or trails that come with a minimal cost. So you can still get those pictures and enjoy some spooky family time. Also download the love exploring app. In past years they have had a monster themed interactive trail available at most parks. Whilst this doesn’t seem to be available yet I’m holding out hope that come half term it will provide some free fun for a day out.

If you’re a fan of crafts then this is definitely the time of year to get crafty, particularly when the weather isn’t great. There’s plenty you can do without spending a lot. Look online for ideas of simple crafts that you can do with with random stuff you might already have lying around the house. Or check out discount store like B&M and Home Bargains, or the Works, who often have budget friendly crafts for all ages.

If you’re just not really into the season and all you want to do is stay inside and stay warm, that’s fine, stick on a film, wrap up under a blanket with a hot chocolate and just enjoy the season in you’re own way. No one should ever feel they have to do something just because some “influencer” tells us we should.