{"id":53033,"date":"2018-10-30T03:54:07","date_gmt":"2018-10-30T03:54:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.babyhealthandcare.com\/what-to-do-when-your-kid-is-scared-of-halloween\/"},"modified":"2018-10-30T03:54:07","modified_gmt":"2018-10-30T03:54:07","slug":"what-to-do-when-your-kid-is-scared-of-halloween","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.babyhealthandcare.com\/de\/what-to-do-when-your-kid-is-scared-of-halloween\/","title":{"rendered":"What to do when your kid is scared of Halloween"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Photo: Getty Images <\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

If October 31 scares the bejesus out of your tot, you\u2019re not the only parent who won\u2019t be posting pictures of your goblins on Facebook. Not all little ones are into the scare fest<\/strong>\u2014in fact, it\u2019s not uncommon for kids to be spine-tinglingly afraid of Halloween.<\/p>\n

Andrea Belanger discovered this when her daughter, Mia, was two. \u201cWe were trick-or-treating when we came upon the most magnificent Maleficent costume,\u201d she says (referring to the chilling villain from the Disney film). \u201cThere was a girl sitting on her dad\u2019s shoulders, making Maleficent at least eight feet tall. They wore a long black dress, black cape and a high collar, complete with the headpiece and horns. The adults in the group appreciated the realism of the costume, but the toddlers were less impressed.<\/p>

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\u201cWhen Mia saw Maleficent slowly walking up the street, she begged to go home,\u201d says Belanger. \u201cShe was terrified! That ended Halloween.\u201d<\/p>\n

While a mountain of candy is enough for some tykes to embrace the holiday, parenting coach Julie Romanowski says being afraid of this spooky day is both typical and healthy for kids this age.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a complicated idea; they don\u2019t understand the concept of Halloween, and there\u2019s often no explanation from parents, so kids don\u2019t know what to expect. This\u2014combined with the scary sights and sounds\u2014would send anyone running for the hills,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Toddlers are also still a tad young to fully comprehend masks<\/strong>, costumes or \u201cmake believe,\u201d too. Many won\u2019t grasp who it is behind the mask, she says, even if it\u2019s their close family member and you\u2019ve shown them repeatedly. What\u2019s more, Halloween presents a cauldron full of new emotions and actions to deal with. \u201cThere\u2019s pressure to perform (for example, ringing a doorbell and shouting, \u201cTrick or treat!\u201d). They may not know what to do and can act out or get shy and clingy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Mia, Kim Hopper\u2019s daughter, Charlotte, 3, is also a scaredy-cat. \u201cShe loves to dress up for Halloween, but once other trick-or-treaters turn up while she\u2019s going door to door, she starts to cry,\u201d she says. \u201cShe\u2019ll hand out candy, but with some hesitation. We start at a distance and watch kids in costumes come to the door, and she\u2019ll usually wave after a while. Sometimes she just curls up in a ball on my lap. Either way, I don\u2019t push her.\u201d<\/p>\n

This plan of action is a good one\u2014forcing kids to participate in something they\u2019re afraid of won\u2019t fix the problem. The best way to handle the fear and get a toddler ready for her first fright night, says Romanowski, is to discuss what\u2019s going to happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cAllow for plenty of prep time, and use visuals, stories or books to support the discussion. Let them know who will be going trick-or-treating, what they\u2019ll be doing and that you\u2019ll be with them,\u201d she says. Don\u2019t forget to pull out the costume (opt for a darling, not daunting, getup) and play dress-up a couple of weeks before the big day to get them used to it, and make sure you reiterate that Halloween is just for fun\u2014there\u2019s no danger<\/strong>. Most important, says Romanowski, \u201cbe ready to pack it in early if need be. No cute picture is worth your child feeling terrified.\u201d You can also throw a themed party in the daytime (avoiding the dark night altogether) and have guests nix the eerie ensembles in favour of coming dressed as their favourite TV character, animal or athlete.<\/p>\n

With Halloween around the corner, Kim is hoping Charlotte overcomes some of her fears now, before Christmas rolls around\u2014it turns out Mia is also afraid of Santa. (But that\u2019s another story.)<\/p>\n

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Read more:
22 spooky (but fun!) Halloween books for kids
Should big kids go out for Halloween?
Trick-or-treating safety tips<\/strong><\/p>\n

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