Halloween is coming and my three-year-old has reached the “scary” awareness stage. He can’t really say why he’s scared (and I can’t talk him out of being scared). With stores full of Halloween gear and TV showing horror movies now in theatres – we are surrounded by the sights and sounds of Halloween. Here are a few ways I’m making Halloween less scary for my son:
- Yes, I’m censoring Halloween (and my big kids are helping). When a commercial for a horror movie comes on TV, we switch channels. Actually, my big kids started doing this on their own because they said, “That is too scary for him.” I love that they are looking out for their little brother. Also, being older, they know the difference between what is scary and what is not.
- Explain Halloween. We talk about trick-or-treating. We talk about costumes. We go through the “experience” of Halloween and what he will be doing on October 31.
- Customize Halloween visuals. We are making age-appropriate Halloween crafts like these Ghost Footprints to decorate our walls. We are borrowing Halloween picture books from the library. We are watching Halloween DVDs (which I know are age-appropriate because I bought them!).
- Note school policy. Our school has a “no skull and crossbones” policy all the time (and it’s amazing how many everyday boy clothing apparel has skulls and crossbones). At Halloween, our school has a “no weapon” policy for costumes. That means when my son starts talking about being a pirate I’ll have to remember not to send a sword.
And one last tip – which happens to be a true life story – don’t be afraid to unmask Halloween. When trick-or-treating with my oldest daughter when she was little, a masked man jumped out of a bush to scare her. He thought it was hilarious. Hilarious. Now, I can appreciate a Halloween scare as much as the next person… but not to a little kid. I respectfully, but pretty firmly, asked him to take off his mask and show my daughter he was, in fact, a human and not a zombie (because I was the one who was going to have to deal with weeks upon weeks of nightmares due to the undead guy on Halloween).
Halloween is a fun holiday, but we have to remember little kids are frightened easily. Focus on the “un-scary” parts of Halloween (jack-o-lanterns, creative costumes, and of course…the trick-or-treating). It can be a great whole family experience when you prep the kids for fun!
Caroline Fernandez shares family-friendly activities and tips on her site Parent Club (Twitter: @ParentClub). Her first book Boredom Busters (Cico Books, 2014) is now available in stores.