Okay, I shouldn’t have to spell it out, but that seems to be my burden.

All parents of adorable little children, listen up:

There are two times that it is permissable for your child to be seen in public in a costume:  The last week of October, and on the way to and from a costume party.

That’s it.  Nope, not at the zoo.  No, not at the mall.  Sorry about that.

For every time you break this rule, you will have to spend two hours in Purgatory watching some other person’s enchanting six year old perform in a Christmas pageant.