No scary costumes at the fall festival

[ReneeA]

I know this is a common rule at most elementary school's halloween/fall festivals, but it hasn't been at ours. The kids do not dress up at school, but the Friday before every Halloween, there's a Fall Festival at the school with games, food and a hayride. Families are encouraged to dress up - in fact - bonus tickets are given out for additional games if you do dress up.

Last year, 75% of the kids wore scary costumes. Mine were Batgirl (supposed to look scary, but didn't end up that way) and the Grim Reaper. Most of the kids looked like they belonged with the crypt keeper.

A few minutes ago, I got the recorded message from school reminding us of the party including that no scary costumes will be allowed this year. REALLY? You couldn't have made this known earlier than 4 hours before the party starts? I thought maybe I missed something, so I reread the newletter announcing the festival and the several hundred flyers advertising and begging for help/donations. Not one states that there are no scary costumes allowed, and since it's always been alright and even encouraged in the past, I assumed it's okay.

Now I have a witch and the Scream character costume already bought (and have been worn to a party last weekend so I can't even exchange them). Not only that, I was out this morning and there are very few costumes left of the shelf. If they had let me know a few weeks ago, I could have gently steered my kids away from the spooky.

 

[ChristaDeVil]

Considering most people get their costumes ahead of time, you're probably going to see some other spooky people breaking the rules. If it were me, I'd let the kids wear what they want and then lie and say I didn't get the message. (But, then again, I'm sneaky like that.)

 

[scrapquitler]

While I can understand them not wanting things to be too scary or gory, it IS halloween and honestly, most of the costumes in the stores ARE at least somewhat scary. And it's also a tomato/tomahto thing: what I find scary you might not. VERY subjective.

It's pretty ridiculous that they decided to announce this four hours before the 'fall festival' (It's a HALLOWEEN PARTY for crying out loud you people who organize these things, just call it that!) Obviously people have alredy purchased or made their costumes. Nobody is going to go out and change their costume at the last minute like that.

Go, wear the costumes you have. Everyone else will be doing the same. As long as a costume isn't really gory (like blood covered) or too sexy, I think you'll be fne.

 

[tlbwriter]

I'm not one to ignore rules/policies simply because I find them inconvenient, but this is ridiculous. I'd wear the costumes you already have and pretend you never got the phone call.

 

[Magpie]

Just don't use the fake blood pump on the Scream costume! Witches aren't scary, I don't think. Maybe skip the green makeup and the wart and just go with the hat and dress (and broom, unless that's banned).

 

[ReneeA]

Sometimes the DIS surprises me (in a good way)...I was totally expecting to be taken apart if I posted that we were going to overlook the rules this year. I am not under any circumstances going to to purchase new costumes OR going to try and put something together last minute for this. If it was that big of a deal, then they should have made the new rule known weeks ago.

 

[ilovejack02]

Scream costume it self isn't bad , maybe skip the fake knife if it has one and heck witches aren't scary at all . : )

 

[tlbwriter]

Sometimes the DIS surprises me (in a good way)...I was totally expecting to be taken apart if I posted that we were going to overlook the rules this year. I am not under any circumstances going to to purchase new costumes OR going to try and put something together last minute for this. If it was that big of a deal, then they should have made the new rule known weeks ago.

The fact that they threw this at you at the very last minute (and also that they said "remember" when they never told you in the first place - one of my pet peeves!) makes this one a no-brainer to me.

 

[krcit]

I'm the biggest rule-follower going but I would dress them in their costumes

 

[Scurvy]

I am a huge stickler for rules but there is no way I'd get a new costume because of a rule that was only communicated for the first time a few hours before the event. However, if there were any aspects of the current costumes that were particularly scary (like weapons or frightening makeup effects, for example) then I would leave those things home for the night. The costumes you mentioned are not necessarily all that scary on their own.

 

[clh2]

Message...what message...you didn't actually listen to it - did you?? Seriously - you are probably a busy mom, heavily involved in getting your kiddos to all their afterschool activities, you probably didn't realize there was a message on the machine.

I'm just saying...

 

[minkydog]

Message...what message...you didn't actually listen to it - did you?? Seriously - you are probably a busy mom, heavily involved in getting your kiddos to all their afterschool activities, you probably didn't realize there was a message on the machine.

I'm just saying...

Oh, yeah. I have totally used this excuse.

 

[golfgal]

I'm a rule follower too but in this case it is just silly-do they REALLY expect parents to have 2 costumes for their kids? If a kid gets scared by a costume at a school party, what do they do ON Halloween?? Sorry but it's Halloween, you are SUPPOSED to dress up in scary costumes.