There are children who love Halloween: candies, costumes, games, … However, for others, it is a real nightmare: masks, ghosts and monsters scare them, even knowing that their family and friends are behind them. or neighbors.
Celebrating Halloween with children who are afraid of everything that surrounds this holiday is a challenge for parents . You can choose not to participate in the night of the living dead, however, it is impossible to escape the shop windows, the special programming of children’s channels, school parties, …
Index
HOW TO GO THROUGH HALLOWEEN WITHOUT BECOMING A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE FOR A SENSITIVE CHILD?
For a child who still finds it difficult to distinguish between what is real and what is fake , the skulls, skeletons, pumpkins with terrifying eyes and teeth or the bats that adorn the streets and among those who have to mix, it can be something traumatic for them.
On October 31 there are children who prefer to stay at home and not go out. Some even refuse to participate in school activities related to this celebration. At this point, what should we do, force the children to intervene in them? Leave them out of school on Halloween so they don’t get scared? Neither one thing nor the other. What we must do is teach children to face what scares them and help them overcome it so that they can enjoy the Halloween celebration with their friends .
6 TIPS TO PREVENT YOUR CHILD FROM BEING AFRAID IN HALLOWEEN
Next we are going to leave you some tips with which to help your children overcome their fear of the Halloween holiday.
1.- Days before the arrival of Halloween, tell your child about this party : what the party is about, that people are going to dress up, that they are asking for sweets … If you put your child on notice, he will not be caught by surprise and understand what is happening. Explain it to him as a very fun party where he will have a great time with his friends and family.
2.- Find out what scares your child : monsters, skulls, ghosts, … Listen to him and talk to him about what worries him.
3.- Be careful with the images and movies that you see during that day and the previous ones . Even asking you to see them and being drawings, he may not be afraid during the day, but when he gets to bed, the fears may surface.
4.- Explain that monsters, witches, ghosts and other horror characters do not exist. Explain that behind each one of them there is a person in disguise, a friend, a neighbor, an acquaintance. You must make him understand that they do not exist in reality and therefore he does not have to be afraid of them.
5.- Dress up with your children for the party . Children learn by imitation, so if they see their parents dress up and enjoy Halloween, they will want to join in the party.
6.- If you decorate your house for Halloween, it is best to decorate it as a family. Involving the child in the preparations for the party is a good way to keep them from being afraid.
If you still think that your child may need the help of a Psychologist to help him overcome his fears, do not hesitate to contact us.
Alexa Clark specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She has experience in listening and welcoming in Individual Therapy and Couples Therapy. It meets demands such as generalized anxiety, professional, love and family conflicts, stress, depression, sexual dysfunction, grief, and adolescents from 15 years of age. Over the years, She felt the need to conduct the psychotherapy sessions with subtlety since She understands that the psychologist acts as a facilitator of self-understanding and self-acceptance, valuing each person's respect, uniqueness, and acceptance.