When Halloween is Too Scary for Your Kids

Not every child loves Halloween. The thought of going out after dark and walking up to unfamiliar houses with shrieking decorations and flickering lights while dressed in a costume he or she wouldn't wear normally can be pretty rough on some kids. It's up to you to make it fun.

Kids three and under tend to have the hardest time of it at Halloween, but even some older children can be intimidated. You have to look at it from a child's perspective; dark night, scary looking creatures (the other kids in costumes) running around, nothing in the neighborhood quite looks normal. Pretty intimidating for some children.

For younger children it may pay to trick or treat a little early or to do your trick or treating at a mall. Malls are generally well lit and many have trick or treating programs set up.

Be aware that some Halloween decorations really do frighten children. Try taking a walk in daylight looking at the decorations, or even drive around the block in the evening the night before Halloween, when most of the decorations will be out, just to get your child used to how these things look.

The inflatable decorations that have become so popular these last few years terrified my daughter when she was two years old. She didn't want to go near them, even when carried. If something frightens your child that much, reassure them about it, but don't force the issue. They'll probably outgrow the problem. It's not like you HAVE to take your child up to every door.

Talk to your child about what happens at Halloween before Halloween. Let them try on their costume a little early, but don't let them ruin it before the big night. Explain that there will be people in all kinds of costumes but it's not real.

If your child has been frightened a lot on Halloween, take some time before bed to calm those fears. You might have to deal with nightmares, but the less those fears have been addressed, the more likely you are to have to deal with serious nightmares, I suspect.

Halloween may be fun for us grownups, but it's a pretty big deal for kids. Help them to deal with it in terms they can cope with.

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