Is Halloween too scary for children?

Halloween started in medieval England, a tradition that has taken over (most) of the world. To avoid being recognized by the visiting spirits, people would dress up in masks whenever they left home and bowls of food were placed outside to keep the ghosts happy.

Halloween as we know it today has us dressing up and collecting sweeties. Is Halloween going too far though? Are we scaring our young children exposing them to something we try so hard the rest of the year to shield them from?

Halloween can be too much for the very young, and I advise to keep a close eye on children and remind them of what is real and what is not. Remember when you go and visit Peppa Pig that person in the suit is very much Peppa to them, they will feel the same way seeing a grown up in full zombie make up.

Over the last 30 years Halloween is no longer seen as “just of kids” and this too has shown with scarier costumes and decorations in shops to entertain us older Halloween party go-ers.

The main idea of Halloween, of course, is death. That’s what Halloween is all about after all, celebrating death.

This is a subject we tend to avoid talking about with our children unless we sadly need to. Come Halloween though we openly talk about ghouls, spirits and anything spooky and though to us adults it’s all for fun and entertainment, it can be a child's first introduction to death.

The preschool parties are pretty tame with many children choosing to dress as princesses or a favourite cartoon character but it can be impossible to avoid all the other spooky props and pictures that are all over our shops. Going out your way to hide these things from your child can also worsen anxieties in the child as we are projecting fear on to them by telling them it’s too scary for them to see. I think you can agree it’s a very fine thin that can be easily crossed.

Parents should be aware though that children can grasp the idea of fantasy and reality. It just needs to be explained to them.

Allowing children to dress up in spooky outfits has its benefits (desensitising the fear) and the thing we can do as parents to prevent our children from getting too scared on Halloweenis to remind them that its not real and that its all for fun, just as adults have to remind themselves that the scary movies aren’t real.

After all, sometimes it’s fun to be afraid on Halloween, to be shocked, to get a fright. Our body releases a mix of hormones that can make the feeling fear turn into enjoyment. Its all very scientific and I am no Brian Cox, but just trust me, some people just love a good scare.

You know your child; you know there limits and just like everything else in this world you can only protect them from so much.

If your child does become scared, it’s important to remember that children can understand the difference between fantasy and reality — they just sometimes have trouble keeping it at the front of their thinking and need a little reminder.

Enjoy Halloween, have fun and stay safe!