I’ll Never Be a Pinterest-Perfect Halloween Mom — and That’s Okay

Because joy doesn’t have to be handmade.

I’ll never be the make-from-scratch-costume mom.

One: I don’t have the time.

Two: I don’t like doing it, and I don’t have the skills.

And yes, sometimes that makes me feel guilty.

But here’s the thing: that’s okay.

As a busy working mom who runs her own business, I’ve had to redefine what holidays like Halloween look like for our family. My kids are older now, which is both a blessing and a shift because they can help more, but they also have opinions, schedules, and their own creative visions.

Real Life, Not Pinterest

We decorate a bit, inside and out, but never excessively. Some years we’re early, some years (like this one) we’re late, and that’s fine. I did some fall décor earlier in the season, but we haven’t had time for the Halloween setup yet.

We always carve pumpkins together, usually last minute and often late at night. It’s chaotic, but it’s ours. It also works best that way for my husband’s schedule, so it’s become part of our rhythm.

I try to take the kids to Saunders Farm, our local Ottawa spot for fall and Halloween fun. Planning ahead helps, but sometimes life doesn’t allow for it, and that’s okay too. The point isn’t perfection; it’s presence.

Meeting My Kids Where They Are

One of my daughters is very creative, and I try to encourage that side of her. She’s the kind of kid who could absolutely design and make her entire costume, and I know she’d enjoy it if she chose to. But she hasn’t wanted to yet, and that’s okay.

I don’t push her, but I do support her creativity when she’s interested. This year, she’s being Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. We found the right shoes second-hand (tiny but wide feet!) and they weren’t the right colour, so we ordered red fabric paint. One evening, she painted them herself. We bought the costume online. Planning ahead made it smoother, but even if it hadn’t worked out, we’d have figured something out.

The Mental Load Behind the Mask

Here’s the truth: even in 2025, the mental load still falls heavily on moms.

In Canada, women in couples still do more unpaid household work. In 2022, mothers who worked from home spent 40 minutes more per day on housework than fathers (102.9 minutes vs. 62.5). And back in 2017, 56% of women were still primarily responsible for meal prep, and 61% for laundry. 

Sources: Vanier Institute, Statistics Canada.

That invisible work, the planning, organizing, remembering, scheduling, adds up. It’s no wonder that many of us are doing Halloween side-of-desk, last minute, and really frazzled. We scroll Instagram and see parents with perfect DIY costumes and Pinterest-worthy porches and think, Maybe next year. But maybe we don’t need to chase that version at all.

My Hope for You (and for Me) This Halloween

Let’s drop the pressure to be Pinterest-perfect.

Let’s stop pretending that our worth, or our kids’ joy, depends on matching aesthetic décor or handcrafted costumes.

Let’s celebrate small wins instead:

• A last-minute pumpkin-carving night that ends in laughter.

• Costumes that arrived just in time but still made your kid’s face light up.

• Saying "no" to one more commitment so you can actually enjoy the evening.

  
  

And most importantly, let’s show up for what matters: our kids, our families, and ourselves.

Because what they’ll remember isn’t whether the porch looked like a Pinterest board. It’s that you were there, carving pumpkins, laughing at the mess, making memories.

And remember: your kids aren’t just watching you messily juggle work, family, and life. They’re learning from you. They’re seeing what love, sacrifice, and leadership look like. They’re watching you build financial security and independence. They’re learning that women can live their dreams, even when life is full. You’re not falling short; you’re showing them what strength in action looks like.

A Quote to Remember

“Done is better than perfect.” – Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Facebook (Meta) and author of Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead.

She said this in the context of business, but it applies beautifully to motherhood too. You don’t have to do it all. You just have to do what matters.

Your Turn: Action Steps

1. Pick one thing you’ll do this Halloween that brings you joy (not stress). Maybe it’s a pumpkin patch visit, watching your kids trick-or-treat, or carving pumpkins late at night.

2. Say it out loud: “Good enough is great.”

3. Share this post with another mom who’s feeling the Pinterest pressure. Tell her she’s not alone.

Let’s make this Halloween one where we let go of perfect and hold on to presence.

Final Thought

We’re all managing a lot.We’re balancing work, family, expectations, and invisible to-do lists that never end.So this year, let’s give ourselves permission to be imperfect and to enjoy the season anyway.

Here’s to messy, meaningful, memory-making Halloweens.