Halloween often represents a fun-filled, spooky, sugar-filled evening for children and parents alike. Costumes are excitedly made or purchased months in advance, candy is stocked, and plans for the best trick-or-treating route are put in place.
However, for some children, Halloween can also bring up stress and feelings of exclusion. Parents can incorporate a few practices into their Halloween plans to help make Halloween smooth and enjoyable for all.
We hope these suggestions are helpful to all families as you prepare to celebrate, and we wish you a spooktacular Halloween!
Halloween can create sensory overload.
Flashing lights, smoke machines, creepy lawn decorations, and those ever-thrilling hands that pop out of candy bowls might seem fun for many children. For others, this creates sensory overload that can be highly distressing.
According to the Star Institute, sensory processing disorders may impact at least 1 in 20 individuals. Children diagnosed with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder may also experience heightened stress around extreme sensory stimulation.
Parents can help children navigate this by recognizing tell-tale signs that their children are experiencing heightened stress and engaging in check-ins throughout the evening.
Parents can also ensure that children feel a sense of control by letting them decide not to do things that make them uncomfortable or to end the night early.
Costume comfort and etiquette
For children with sensory challenges, ensuring they feel comfortable in their costumes will help them enjoy the evening. This might include making sure there are various options for comfort in all sorts of weather.
Consider having developmentally appropriate conversations with children about culture and lived experiences. Culturally insensitive costumes and parties can harm children, teens, and parents from marginalized communities where these costumes perpetuate stereotypes.
Halloween can be an excellent opportunity for parents of children and teens to discuss diversity, awareness, kindness, and respect and for parents to model this in their own costumes and festivities.
Some may experience anxiety or feel excluded
Recognizing different backgrounds
Some parents do not celebrate Halloween, and for children experiencing Halloween celebrations around them at school and in their neighborhoods, this might create feelings of being excluded and not belonging.
These children may not fully understand why they can't participate, and children participating may not understand why their friend is not allowed to join in.
Parents can educate their children that families may have different belief systems and traditions and model for their children how to help others feel that they are valued even when they may not be participating in Halloween activities.
The impact of dietary considerations
Dietary restrictions and allergies can be sources of frustration for many children on Halloween. For some children, this may discourage them from trick or treating; for others, this might mean a sense of disappointment when they cannot pick a candy at many of the houses they visit.
To encourage inclusiveness for these kiddos, parents can ensure they provide a variety of allergen and special diet-friendly treats in addition to a regular candy bowl.
Families can use teal bowls or teal pumpkin buckets for their trick-or-treaters and teal-colored pumpkins outside their homes to indicate that they have allergy-friendly treats or non-food treats for children.
Social pressures
As a therapist working with teens, I see excitement as well as stress arise in sessions around anticipating Halloween.
Social events are popular among teens, and you may find that your teen is feeling excluded. Parents of younger children can help by collaborating with other parents to coordinate events that are inclusive to all children.
Parents can also work on recognizing what feelings are coming up for their child and provide space for their child to explore these feelings with them. This can include talking with the child about what plans they can establish as a family that would be enjoyable.
Parents may also display their own anxieties about their children being included. Parents can recognize that they are expressing anxiety that creates further stress on their children and then regulate these feelings so that children are comfortable coming to their parents with their feelings.
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