My brother and I did not grow up in the most “normal” of households. I’m not talking about a dysfunctional family or anything, although ours certainly qualifies! I’m more referring to the celebration of holidays and children’s events. Our mother was not the most eager celebrant of Easter, Halloween, etc. Although Christmas and Thanksgiving were always welcomed, the “lesser” holidays were often ignored. No, that’s too nice of a word. They were snubbed.
Although we were older, I can remember coming down the stairs to find a bag of my favorite candy with a $20 bill lying on top in lieu of an Easter basket. I found this rather humorous as at least my mother tried to mark the occasion in some manner. But the holiday which she truly ignored was Halloween.
She wasn’t opposed to the idea of the holiday itself; she just didn’t like the effort it took. She would go out and by bags of candy to give away to the trick-or-treaters, but she didn’t actually like to give it away. I never quite understood this behavior, but I still remember that every Halloween night my mother would turn off all the lights, both inside and outside the house, get a book and go upstairs to my bedroom and read a book. She purposefully sat in my bedroom instead of her own as hers was at the front of the home and the light could be seen from the street. Her intent was for the goblins to think no one was home. She just found it frustrating to keep getting up and down to answer the doorbell! She still does this. (She told me later that she buys the candy anyway…..just in case. Hhhmmm.)
I try to make the holiday a bit more jovial for the kids. Although we don’t decorate too much, I do try to make it seem as though the holiday is not a nuisance. I recently found something that can be easily used to make the holiday fun for the neighbors’ kids as well as my home. I pre-recorded doorbell, or progammable doorbell or door chime.
These nifty little gadgets are perfect for your Halloween décor. They are easy to program and their sounds are limited only by your imagination. You can have the doorbell programmed to emit a scream each time it is rung, or perhaps a familiar Halloween jingle such as The Monster Mash.” You can even program your own voice, or someone else’s voice, to say a special greeting. Your home would soon be the most fun to visit and all the kids would flock to your door.
Of course, these recordable doorbells can also be used for other holidays, such as Christmas, New Year’s, etc. But what a special unexpected treat on an evening you expect a lot of visitors. The kids and neighbors alike are sure to love ringing this bell!
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