Tips for top treats

Go on. Dress up, have fun and be a kid again.

It's the one night of the year each of us has a free pass to be someone else, spooky, funny or anything in between.

While going trick-or-treating door to door with a walker isn't recommended, even those of us who have seen many Halloweens come and go can still get into the act. We can let our imaginations lead us to our own kooky costumes as we answer the door this evening and burden bright-eyed, sugar-craving kids with plenty of cavity producers.

Fortunately, North Idaho has long been a haven for safe tricks-or-treats, but we offer two recommendations to make the exchange even more fun this year.

Givers of treats: This is a rare chance to show kindness and generosity to complete strangers, many of whom barely come up past your knees. Make the experience as much fun as you can for them; they'll remember it always, for good and for bad.

Parents of treat collectors: Please remind your children of some basic rules of the road, starting with courtesy. One way to spoil the fun is when kids display an entitlement mentality, even if it extends only to a handful of goodies dropped into an open bag. Kids who walk up to the door, say nothing, take their treats and then walk away without saying a word take some of the fun out of All Hallows' Eve.

The solution is simple: Good manners. Kids should say "Trick or treat!" or "Happy Halloween!" when the door is answered. They should say thank you for whatever they're given. In fact, we would suggest that the more polite children are from the get-go, and the more effort they or their parents put into the presentation, the better bounty they're likely to reap.

Now then, let's all do our best to keep our neighborhood children happy and area dentists gainfully employed. In the homestretch of an important national election, we heartily endorse a fun, safe Halloween for parties of all persuasions.