Learner Dad: Disappointment is fine, but sometimes you have to intervene

My daughter wanted at least one motion-activated ghoul that would scare the lunch out of you

Picture: iStock 

It feels like Halloween is already over.

I know there are a few days left to the trick-or-treat night, but the supermarkets have already run out of stuff and moved onto Christmas. (For the record, it will be a cold day in hell before I buy a box of Celebrations in October.) I learned this the hard way when my daughter and I went Halloween decoration shopping last weekend. There had never much pressure to go spooky in October before now, but we’re in a new house now and our neighbours have raised the bar with skeleton hands coming up out of their lawn and a strawman that genuinely frightens me every time I see it.