There are a lot of folks these days who don’t celebrate Halloween. Frankly, I get it, and I’m not a huge fan myself. For me, it’s not so much about religious convictions as it is that I don’t like the idea of mixing scary stuff and kids. I also don’t like how sexy some of the costumes have gotten, even for kids.
The idea of any costume, friendly or scary, is frightening for some children. If your child is one of them, here are a few tips for handling Halloween.
1. Respect your child’s fear by staying a safe distance from people in costume.
2. Don’t laugh at their fear, no matter how silly it may seem to you.
3. Offer comfort and reassurance.
4. Remind them it’s only pretend, but they still don’t have to like it.
5. Let children play with masks and costumes in front of a mirror so they can see the transformation take place. Have them play peek-a-boo with themselves pulling the mask on and off.
Some of these may seem extreme to you. But your child probably will only have these fears while he’s too young to be able to distinguish what’s real vs. what’s pretend. Usually, by school age, kids can tell the difference. Is it really worth scaring your child just for a party or event you want to attend? For me, the answer is no. I can put off going to these Halloween events until he’s old enough to not be traumatized by them.
So that’s my take on Halloween, costumes, and scaring kids. I prefer a nicer, less edgy alternative, even if my kids aren’t scared.
How about you? How do you plan to do Halloween this year? Will your children dress up? Will you? Will you go trick-or-treating? Attend an alternative event at a school or church? Or aren’t you doing anything for Halloween? I can’t wait to hear from you!
Allison Boley
Carol Boley
dgood648
Joy
Andrea R Huelsenbeck
Betty Mason Arthurs
Linda Carlblom
Peggy Levesque
tuesdayschildren100
Judy Robertson
Doing Life Together 
We are retired and traveling on the 31st. Our one regret is that we won’t be home to give the 5-year old across the street his candy. He loved showing us his costume last year. The boy adored Halloween, and we loved seeing him. I’m glad we are well past dealing with other aspects of Halloween. Good luck to everyone else.
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It is fun to see the little ones all dressed up, isn’t it? In my neighborhood there was always a great community feeling as so many families were out and about and interacting with each other more than usual. I like that aspect of Halloween.
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Me too.
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We make it a fun evening of joining two other neighbors by sitting outside and enjoying the children who stop by for candy, if we don’t eat all the candy first.
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It can really be a night that draws neighbors together, which is what I love about it, Betty. And those kids are so cute all dressed up! A great time to connect neighbors and their kids.
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I know exactly what your are talking about, and appreciate the common-sense advice you offer. My five-year-old granddaughter so far hasn’t done well with Halloween. Even dressed in a fun and age-appropriate costume, she “freaks” when she sees other trick-or-treaters dressed in scary costumes. My daughter has treated these incidents by respecting the fear without judgment and removing my granddaughter from the scene.
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Your daughter is very wise! Glad her little ones’ fears are treated with such respect. Thanks for your comment!
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Growing up, this was a fun, innocent evening….and, of course, all the candy one could eat w/o restrictions!!!!! And, even when our boys were youngsters (40+ yrs ago!!! Yikes!!!!), it was still a good time but these days there seems to be more of a sinister side that is taking “center stage” and a more ‘dark’, malevolent air about it……a feeling that seems to be pervasive in much of what is deemed “entertainment” these days. Enough of that! It’s beautiful Autumn days here (S.E. MN) and the sun is shinning brightly……….celebrating THAT!!!!! Hugs………….(and thanks for stopping by and following my little jottings!!!!!! Doreen)
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You are so right, Doreen. I’m with you. Let’s celebrate the beautiful autumn change of seasons (even though here in AZ it seems to be very delayed this year). Nothing scary about that! Thanks for your comment.
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Good point……the seasons in the “Southern tier” arrive a bit differently. Sometimes I feel like this season blows through on winds that are a bit ferocious!!!!! LOL!!!! Enjoying the sunshine today………November is/can be quite “grey”/lacking in sun, so I’m absorbing every ray that I can!!!! Hugs………
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