Halloween Reminders for Parents of Anxious Children

It’s almost Halloween. Corn stalks, jack o’ lanterns, and witches hats adorn shop windows and every corridor of the local grocery. Pumpkins spill out of carts at local farm stands, often with a few carved with toothy grins. Front porches and lawns sport scarecrows, spider webs, and a skeleton or two. Some communities hold rag-tag parades where costumed kids take to the street or local mall for Halloween fun. Classrooms may no longer have parties with cupcakes and candy as they did in the parents’ generation, but many still do recognize the season in some way. It’s exciting. It’s fun! And yet. There are children for whom Halloween is fraught with anxiety. Anxious or emotionally sensitive children and children on the autism spectrum can get stressed and distressed by the season. Such children don’t like the unfamiliar. Things that go bump in the night are terrifying, not exciting. They may be afraid of the skeleton hanging from the neighbor’s porch. Grinning pumpkins might give them nightmares. Masks can be terrifying. Treats may be regarded with suspicion. And costumes? For some children, dressing up is way out of their comfort zone.  If you are a parent of such a child, this isn’t new information. Nor is it new information that your child needs help to manage whatever is novel. But it is only human to minimize or forget at times, especially if we love Halloween ourselves; especially if the sensitive child has siblings who are excited and delighted with th...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Anxiety and Panic Children and Teens Holiday Coping Parenting Anxious Children Halloween Trick or treating Source Type: blogs