Don’t scare the kids
Peggy Maynard
Originally published 02:04 p.m., October 23, 2007
Updated 02:04 p.m., October 23, 2007
Halloween is around us. I am hearing young children being denied the respect they should be receiving when they say, “I’m scared.” Parents please hear their cry. This time of year is not pleasant for them. Your response of, “it’s not real — it’s just pretend,” isn’t a comforting statement.
For children five and under, “pretend” is what they are all about. The children in my 2-year-old “classroom” spend large amounts of their day, “pretending.” They are mommies and daddies, train conductors, dancers, race car drivers and want to be wrestlers, but I stop that action pretty fast.
For young children, what they see is real. Their thinking is not refined. What you see is what you get. First impressions are lasting impressions.
Halloween isn’t pretty, comforting or pleasant for a child. It portrays scary, evil faces that are frightening. They see witches, ghosts, skeletons, devils, ghouls, larger than life pumpkins with faces and scared black cats. These things are in people’s homes, yards, the stores and on TV. Movies portray evil, underground beings released into the world.
A happy, out-going child can become withdrawn, clingy, tearful and scared of the dark.
Parents, when you see your child is scared, respect that. Protect them. Validate what they say and are feeling. “That does look scary” or “I’m sorry you are scared.” Don’t take them to scary places and expect the promise of some candy to make everything OK.
Call it pretend or real, Halloween opens a door to some bad stuff. Society tries to make it “appear” ok by saying “it’s just pretend.” My purpose is not to go there. My purpose is to encourage parents to listen to your child’s cries of “I’m scared,” because for them it is REAL.