What to Do if Halloween Scares Your Kids

by Jessica Watson on October 16th, 2018 | No Comments »

Of course we want our kids to love Halloween but not all of them do. Halloween can be a little bit too scary for some of our little ones and even our big ones, adding unnecessary anxiety to their days. With a little preparation you can keep your kids from being scared off by Halloween horror.

Growing up a wimp made Halloween tough for me. I was terrified of masks and anyone in a remotely scary costume and can still clearly remember a classroom that I HATED walking into. Luckily, my kids have not inherited my full-scale scaredy cat qualities but at least one of them is a bit more anxious about Halloween than the rest. Since I spent plenty of years closing my eyes through the month of October, I take a few precautions for my extra-sensitive child.

What to do if your kids are scared of Halloween

1. Avoid large Halloween gatherings- Unless they specifically say it will not be a scary event, most Halloween gatherings involve a decent amount of scary antics. This type of "fun" might not be so enjoyable for your anxious child and it can be hard to avoid the scarier aspects of the gathering when in a group.

2. Ask about school happenings- Your child might be full of worry about certain scary costumes or decorations at school. This can contribute to nervous stomachs and poor concentration at school. Pay attention to anything that might be bothering them and see if the school has a policy about costumes that might be too scary. If they don't, letting your kiddo skip the Halloween party might not be such a bad idea.

3. Host your own event- It can be hard to go to Halloween events when you can't control what is going to be happening there. A great way to control the situation is to host your own get-together. You can plan lots of Halloween fun without the gore. Try these suggestions for fall party alternatives.

When your child is scared of Halloween

4. Stay vigilant about the television- The month of October brings all kinds of scary Halloween shows. The commercials alone can scare our sensitive kiddos. Check out what everyone is the house is watching to keep the zombies and bad dreams to a minimum. Maybe use this time to catch up on reading some great, enticing kids books.

5. Keep communication open- Make sure your child knows you take their fears seriously and are here to help. Being more scared than their friends can be embarrassing and they may be trying to hide their fears. Knowing you take them seriously and are here to help them avoid uncomfortable situations can greatly decrease their anxiety.

Hope your Halloween is more happy than haunted!

Do you have a child who fears Halloween? How do you help them get through the holiday? Stop by our Facebook page to share your ideas.

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Jessica Watson

Jessica Watson is the mom to five, four in her arms and one in her heart. When she's not doing the minivan shuffle she's homeschooling her kiddos and cooking things they won't eat. She blogs with her heart on her sleeve at Four Plus an Angel, co-directs Listen To Your Mother Metro Detroit and writes for sites such as Huffington Post, Mamalode and SheKnows.