By Sarah Lyons

Halloween means costumes, pumpkin carving, and trick-or-treating. Traditions create lasting memories and something to look forward to each year. Halloween is a perfect time to start some new traditions with your kids. Try some of these ideas!

Ready Set Decorate

Before you can go trick-or-treating, everyone will need a costume, obviously. Have some fun and create coordinating costumes for the whole family, or give your child permission to make their own costume with things around the house. Since the kids will need something to collect all that candy in, try decorating your own bucket, bag, or pillowcase to trick-or-treating. Kids could use the same one in the future and enjoy looking back on what they created when they were younger or make a new one each year. 

Prepare for trick-or-treaters by setting up a spooky atmosphere. Get the kids involved in decorating both the inside and outside of the house before Halloween. Make a scarecrow, change the lightbulbs to purple or orange, and hang up homemade or store-bought decorations near your door.

Pumpkin time

Pumpkins are a symbol of Halloween and fall, but before you buy your pumpkins from the store, try visiting a local pumpkin patch. Many will have apple cider, fall treats, corn mazes, hayrack rides, a nice variety of pumpkin styles and sizes, and more. Once you have your pumpkins picked out and it is time to do the carving, make things more interesting by coming up with an original theme each year. Some ideas may include sports, cartoon characters, animals, words, or traditional spooky faces. Many ideas and templates can be found online to get you started. 

Fun and games

Play Halloween-themed music while you carve your pumpkins, bob for apples, and create some spooky treats such as mummy hot dogs, witch finger pretzels, pumpkin shaped pizza, or caramel apples. Try using squash or small pumpkins to bowl, use toilet paper to make friends and family into mummies, or play pin the hat on the witch. Whether you invite friends over for a party or add some fun to your family time, your kids are sure to remember the extra effort you added to make the holiday special.

A spooky story

Kids love a spooky story. Parents can choose age-appropriate movies or books to get their kids in the mood for Halloween. Make up your own stories and share them by candlelight.  You can host a spooky movie sleepover for your family or allow kids to invite a few friends over to celebrate. 

Give back

Parents can use the holiday as an opportunity to give back to the community. Try participating in a trunk-or-treat in the area. Each participant decorates the trunk of their car and hands out candy to families who attend. 

You could also do a “trick-or-treat for hunger” on or around Halloween. Go door-to-door and ask for nonperishable food donations to give to a local food pantry. Many families also participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project by offering allergen-free treats or small toys so that kids with food allergies can safely participate in Halloween activities. Visit www.foodallergy.org for more information on the Teal Pumpkin Project.

Family traditions are easy to start and worthwhile to continue. As your children grow, they may not remember everything you hope they will, but the traditions that you return to year after year will create lasting memories they’ll treasure for years to come.

Despite the growing trend of corn mazes and petting zoos in Northwest Ohio, Country Lane Tree Farm has a unique history and operation. The Bowlander family immigrated from Germany to Northwest Ohio in the 1860s. Over 150 years later, John Bowlander Sr. and his wife, Melissa, are still running the farm in Genoa.

Country Lane Tree Farm has been open to the public for 29 years and has become an educational and family experience. Some of the features of the farm include a corn maze, pumpkin patch, barrel train rides, pony rides, corn cannon shoot and animals that can be seen on the animal tour. Families will have an interactive experience as guests are allowed to hold bunnies, baby ducks and chicks. Receive a kiss from the kissing llamas or feel the warm muzzle of fallow deer eating from your hands. Children can even milk a real cow. There is a wide variety of rare animals such as Red the red-headed Pheasant and Panda the mini cow.  Over 200 animals live on the farm. “Our animals are happy because they are in their natural environment on a farm,” Melissa shares. “We don’t make them travel around or sell them. This is their home and they’re a part of our family.”

Panic In the Pines

If your teenagers are less interested in animals and pumpkins, they can still have fun during night activities. While Country Lane Tree Farm is best known for their family day trips, birthday parties and camps, they’ve also added Panic in the Pines as a Halloween attraction. Panic in the Pines started eight years ago and now has over 60 live actors who bring the thrills to life.  This spooky, spectacular attraction has three options: Haunted Pine Woods, Forest of Pines and Haunted Trail. 

“It all takes us about three months to set up and take down,” says Melissa. “It even has a 39-foot pirate ship.” Tickets can be purchased online, but please note that parental discretion is advised for this creepy option.

Keeping it cost effective         

The all-inclusive tickets are $12 per child (ages two and under are free) and $5 for adults. “We try to be economical regarding the cost because we want people to be able to enjoy everything. There’s no extra charge for things like hayrides or feeding the animals.” Melissa explains.

As a way to show their appreciation for our servicemen and women, active military receive free admission with spouses, and their kids receive half off their tickets. Veterans also receive a discount. Pumpkins from the pumpkin patch are 50 cents per pound.

Anyone with a sweet tooth will be happy to know that a candy shooter launches candy over the barn roof every 30 minutes! Families are welcome to purchase homemade donuts and other treats from the snack shop, or they can bring their own lunch to enjoy on-site.

Hours of operation for Fall Family Fun Weekends are Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-4pm. Panic in the Pines is open Saturdays from 8-10pm. Business Hours Monday-Friday are reserved for field trips and large groups.  

The farm is located at 3525 N Bolander Rd Genoa, OH 43430. For hours of more information check online at countrytreelanefarm.com. You can check out more fall activities here!

When you think of pregnancy and infant loss, what comes to mind? Likely sadness – maybe you know someone or have heard about someone who has experienced such a loss. Maybe you feel relieved that it was not your experience and that your children are happy and thriving.

No matter how the topic makes you feel, the fact remains that pregnancy and infant loss is one of the most stigmatizing experiences in our society today. At best, the topic is considered sad or unpleasant, and at worst our society sends a silent message to the parents who have lost a child that their experience makes the collective “us” uncomfortable, forcing these parents to process their grief in silence. As October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, let’s take a few moments to shed light on this experience.

While the topic may feel uncomfortable, pregnancy and infant loss is far more common than we are led to believe. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) a stillbirth is defined as the loss of a baby at 20 weeks gestation or later. About 1 out of every 100 pregnancies results in a stillbirth, or about 24,000 pregnancies per year.

Additionally, the CDC defines infant mortality as the death of an infant before their first birthday. The number of infant deaths prior to their first birthday nationally is about 5.7 deaths per 1,000 births. While the infant mortality numbers differ from state to state, Ohio has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country. Lastly, the March of Dimes defines a miscarriage as a pregnancy loss prior to 20 weeks gestation. Unfortunately, the exact number of miscarriages is harder to know due to the fact that many women experience them before they know they are pregnant; however, it is thought to be 1 out of every 4 pregnancies (or 25 percent), that end in miscarriage. 

With the pregnancy and infant loss numbers higher than commonly thought, it is likely that everyone knows someone who has experienced a loss of this nature. If you know someone who has experienced a pregnancy or infant loss, here are a few things you can do to offer comfort: 

1. Let them know you are available if they ever need to talk. Many people are unsure about who they can turn to to discuss their loss. Letting them know that you are here to listen can be a great comfort. 
2. Try to avoid making statements like, “It just wasn’t meant to be,” or referencing a greater plan being in place. For many, these statements can feel like their experience is being minimized. 
3. Encourage them to seek out therapy with a trained mental health provider, and/or support groups where they can process their loss and work toward healing. Postpartum Support International (PSI) has a national database of trained mental health therapists who can help, as well as support groups.

If you have experienced a pregnancy or infant loss here are some things you should know: 

1. You are not alone. 
2. You are not to blame. 
3. It is okay to grieve your loss (no matter how far along in your pregnancy you may have been). Finding some way to honor your loss can help in the grieving process; examples include planting a tree or a garden, or keeping a memory box. 4. Seek appropriate mental health care if you need support to process your loss. 

While the statistics indicate that pregnancy and infant loss is more common than people assume, it continues to be a topic that society avoids. This leaves those parents who experience such a loss feeling isolated and silenced. Since October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss awareness month, it is a perfect time to honor parents who have experienced losses, children who may have been born sleeping, or the babies that live on in the hearts and minds of their parents and families. 

Additional Resources & Sources 

https://www.postpartum.net 

Ashley Bush is the owner and lead therapist at Bloom Women’s Counseling, Consulting, and Wellness, LLC. located in Maumee. Ashley is passionate about the mental health and wellness of women and female identifying individuals. She provides therapy to women experiencing a variety of situations, including postpartum experiences, pregnancy/infant loss, and issues related to motherhood and parenting. She holds a master’s degree in social work, is licensed independently by the state of Ohio, and has a certificate in perinatal mental health. For more information please visit Psychology Today and Bloom Women’s Counseling, Consulting, and Wellness, LLC and the Bloom Facebook page.