Neighboring Tip of the Week - Send a Trick or Treat invitation to the parents on your street.

Halloween is right around the corner! At Neighboring Movement, we’ve been thinking about how much Halloween has changed over the years. In doing so, we’ve noticed that parents can no longer assume that all of their neighbors welcome trick or treaters. Here is an example of what we mean: Think of a house in your neighborhood that normally does not display Halloween decorations. Do kids normally trick or treat there anyway? We think it is hard for parents to know if certain houses desire to participate in Halloween, and because of this, parents might feel uncomfortable and even unwelcome. If the parents experience this, what are the children experiencing?

The proposed plan is this: Send a Trick or Treat invitation to the parents on your street. In doing so, you will make neighbors feel welcome. They will know your house desires to participate in the holiday, and therefore, they will know of a safe place to take their kids. On a deeper level, the invite tells neighbors that you desire to be an active part of the neighborhood, that you want to get to know neighbors. Who knows what conversations or interactions may ensue from such a simple gesture? Not only does this action tell neighbors that you want to be an active part of the neighborhood but also tells neighbors that you want them to be an active part of the neighborhood, as well!

Happy neighboring!