11/01/2025
Real talk đđź thereâs a parent raising an autistic child, scrolling social media tonight feeling alone.
Youâre seeing videos of neighborhood kids yelling âTrick or Treat,â laughing in costumes, smiling in front of perfectly carved pumpkins.
And all you can think is⌠our life doesnât look like that.
Maybe your child refused a costume.
Melted down at the sound of the doorbell.
Or maybe you skipped Halloween altogether because it just felt like too much.
And deep down, part of you feels guilty for grieving what you thought this season would look like.
That grief? Itâs real.
That heaviness? Itâs valid.
That ache when your child doesnât fit into the moments everyone else shares so easily? Youâre not imagining it.
But please hear this:
Just because your version of Halloween looks different, doesnât mean itâs wrong.
Maybe their costume was a favorite hoodie.
Maybe they looked at a house from a distance before needing quiet.
Maybe you built a pillow fort instead of trick-or-treating.
That counts too.
Thatâs still magic.
Itâs okay to feel sad.
And itâs also okay to choose peace over pressure.
Connection over comparison.
Your childâs needs over the noise.
You are doing an amazing job raising a neurodivergent child in a world that rarely sees the full picture.
And even if tonight feels heavy, I hope you know this:
Youâre not alone.
Your version of Halloween matters.
And your child is never too much.
One year, they might stop after three houses.
The next, they might try five.
Maybe one day, theyâll even wear part of a costume.
Halloween was always my favorite holiday but as a mom, itâs not what I pictured, and thatâs okay.
Because itâs their story.
Their world.
And Iâm here to support it, one moment at a time.
Send this to a parenting raising an autistic child who may need a virtual hug. đŤśđź
⨠Follow for more inclusive parenting stories, sensory-friendly tips, and support from a mom raising two autistic kids whoâs always cheering you on. âď¸
