I hate carving pumpkins. Always have. So I don't do it. Here are some do's and don'ts for people like me.

Don't

• Skip the pumpkin carving tradition
• Buy a fake lit up pumpkin
• Tell your kids pumpkins are poisonous

Do

• Reward yourself for effort (one glass of wine per facial feature carved)
• Drive the kids to the pumpkin patch and nap in the car while they find the perfect pumpkin
• Engage someone else to take on the pumpkin carving tradition with your kids
• Coerce your spouse to carve with the kids (a shot of whiskey here perhaps?)