Kind of Concerned re: Halloween
NicoleWI
member
DD is very excited about her cupcake costume and going trick-or-treating, but I am afraid she's going to be totally freaked out. We've been talking about masks and makeup, but she really can't handle anything REMOTELY scary. She STILL talks about my "kitty makeup" from last year that totally traumatized her (I think we are now okay w/ kitty makeup). Tonight, we watched "Blue's Clues" and she was crying and saying "turn it off" when there was mildly spooky music and a cartoon "haunted house" (that really wasn't scary at ALL! Basically just a house with some cartoon cobwebs). She also was super worried in Backyardigans when there was a mildy suspenseful part about needing to switch the train tracks or the train would crash, and wants to skip pages in books that she deems "scary."
Any tips? Anyone go through this last year and come out the other side? She's 3 1/2.
Re: Kind of Concerned re: Halloween
I am in the minority I know.... I hate Halloween. It's scary and we don't give our kids candy and would never let them go to a stranger's house asking for things.
That being said I decided a long time ago that when our kids were old enough I would throw a neighborhood Halloween party. Nothing scary, no candy, just fun and games for little kids.
Find something small for her, or something in day light. If you trick or treat do it before dinner when the older kids with scary masks are not out yet. Or find a local mall to t-o-t in.
GL!
www.facebook.com/TryVermontFirst
I love these two beautiful children!
Last year our next-door neighbor's yard display really scared DD1. It was a ghoulish thing that popped up from behind a tombstone and made scary noises.
They have a really scary yard/door display every year, and others around the neighborhood do, too.
We made up a non-scary explanation. He was a friendly ghost who liked to play, he was playing hide and seek, he didn't mean to look scary, etc. I also let her choose whether she wanted to go TOT at the "scary" houses. She loves their dog, so she did; and they turned off the door display while we were there, but the yard one went off as we were leaving and still scared her.
She had a few nightmares and eventually got over it. I think it'll be easier this year.
DD1, 1/5/2008 ~~~ DD2, 3/17/2010
DD was scared the first time she saw the cartoons this yr too. But then she began watching the repeats and really getting into it.
Is the school having the kids dress up for a party? This may put her at ease when she sees her friends dress up. We go trick or treating early like at 5 pm with the other little kids (skipping houses w/ scary decorations). I think the older kids, who dress scarier, trick or treat later at night. By this time, DD should be in her pj's winding down for bed time.
Our DD is like this too (also 3.5) she runs from the room when anything she deems scary is on the TV. However she loved Halloween last year and I think the draw of candy makes the fear of ghosts kind of nonexistent LOL.
Our DD is going as Batgirl this year (she was a cupcake fairy last year).
I think your DD will be okay but if she does get too scared just walk her home. And remind her that it's not real. That usually works for our DD.