'Halloween should go ahead this year for two important reasons'

OPINION -- My children have been asking me about Halloween for weeks; about whether it's happening this year, will they get to go trick or treating, can we organise their costumes... and I haven't known what to tell them.

The results of a Nine.com.au reader poll we published this week showed a majority of respondents think Halloween 2020 should be cancelled, which surprised me, especially as most kids in Australia have been back at school for an entire term already.

46 per cent of respondents said they think trick or treating should be banned completely this year, while a further 29 per cent feel it should be banned in locked down or COVID-19 hot spots only.

Eleven per cent of those who responded to the survey chose the option "maybe", while just 10 per cent of Nine.com.au readers who responded said they'd support trick or treating this year.

I live in New South Wales and I went to my local Big W and it is full of Halloween stuff, interestingly right next to the Christmas merchandise.

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My kids and I have also seen Halloween merchandise at The Reject Shop and Spotlight.

Most stores have their Halloween merchandise out as of this week, so clearly the retail industry assumes Halloween will be going ahead.

And I've been speaking with my mum friends via text and on our local parenting groups on Facebook and we all want it to go ahead.

And I think it should go ahead, except in coronavirus hot spots where it should be officially banned so there isn't any confusion.

Our children have been through so much this year. Halloween will be a really nice reset for them.

But we need our state and territory leaders to go on the record about whether or not Halloween trick or treating will be allowed.

Some people may say our state and territory leaders have more important things to worry about than kids trick or treating for Halloween, but they are addressing crowd numbers at beaches due to health risks, so it seems Halloween should be addressed too.

My thinking is because retailers already have their Halloween merchandise out and because most schools have reopened, it should definitely go ahead is as many locations as possible.

Sure, there a risks, but we all know enough to know how to manage Halloween safely. We just have to keep our heads straight.

That means we trick or treat in family groups only, wear masks and use hand sanitiser before and after approaching every home.

People who aren't comfortable handing out treats to children can leave bowls of them outside their front doors, as many do each year anyway.

And it will be down to the parents of each family group to ensure everyone does the right thing, as it is each year.

Just as we make sure our kids don't excitedly run across the street when they see cool decorations without checking for cars first, we will make sure they do everything they need to do to continue to protect themselves and others from coronavirus.

Parents and children have been following these protocols while shopping and when dropping our children off at school and picking them up, so we can easily follow them for one night of trick or treating.

Even if it ends up being banned, I plan to do something with my kids for Halloween. Costumes at the very least and maybe trick or treating at the homes of our families only, and perhaps a select number of friend's homes.

Or perhaps I can hide treats all over my mum's large back yard and they can run around and collect it all dressed in their scary best.

Either way, Halloween is going ahead in my family in some way, shape or form. They need it, to know everything is going to be okay.