Anyone else have a child "scared" of Halloween?

[Hillbeans]

Halloween was always my favorite holiday growing up...i'd think about my costume weeks in advance and i'd be so excited about going Trick or Treating. My almost 5 yo son has never liked Halloween, and I even think he's scared of it. I think he likes the "Trick or treating" part, but trying to get him into a costume is like pulling teeth. I bought and returned 3 costumes this year, and today we went to try on his Fireman costume, and he said that he won't wear it tomorrow.....I did get him into a Buzz Lightyear costume last year for about 30 minutes, but it looks as if i'll have to get out his Steelers jersey and he'll go as a Football player as a "non-costume" costume.

At his school they're having a Halloween party and i'm volunteering as class mom because i'm nervous he'll wig out....at least they don't allow "masks" at school.

Anyone else in the same boat as me?

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

Sit down at the Internet and look up the history of Halloween to share with him. It may help allay his fears.

My DD is scared of Halloween characters ALL YEAR LONG, not just on Halloween. But to tell you frankly, she'd go up to a completely masked stranger if he had candy!

 

[aprincessmom]

DD isn't afraid of Halloween...she just doesn't like it. She doesn't particularly care for getting dressed up in a costume, doesn't particularly care for candy so she doesn't see the point of going door to door for something she doesn't like, and she isn't really into creepy/scary/ghoulish things. However she LOVES to carve pumpkins.

Which is funny because I hate Halloween and always have, even as a child (except that I love carving pumpkins). However I made a really big effort to make it fun for her. When she got to be around 5 she said to me "Mom, I know you love Halloween but I'm perfectly happy just to hand out candy with you...would that be okay." Boy did my heart skip a beat that day! Now we have fun handing out the trinkets and looking at all the cool costumes and, of course, we spend hours carving out many, many pumpkins!

Maybe there is something about the celebration that he would like. One thing on the costumes...maybe he'd be better off without a "pre-made" costume. DD likes to take things she'd normally wear and use that (e.g., she was a clown and used crazy clothes of her own, my shoes, and we put glitter in her hair and makeup on her face). Sometimes it's more comfortable to do it that way for kids.

 

[MamaLema]

DS 9 is terrified of Halloween. So much that he is at home today because if he sees anything Halloween related he will have nightmares for months so I just kept him home today.

He has been this way since he was a baby.

Makes me feel better that I'm not the only one.

BTW, DS6 is the opposite. Halloween is his favourite day and he loves anything scary. DS 2 is in between. Hard to believe they all grow up in the same house

 

[Christine]

My son is 10, almost 11, and he is still this way. He refuses to go into a Halloween store but he managed it this year. He ran in for 5 minutes and got the first costume he found.

The night we got it, it was in his closet. He went to bed and then came into my room and asked me if he could store is costume under my bed as it was "bothering" him in his closet.

 

[Planogirl]

My 12 year old son is a lot like his Mom; the spookier the better. The only difference is that he won't try the Halloween haunted houses which I've always enjoyed. It's odd because spooky movies don't faze him and all of the decorations, sounds and so on are fine too. But he can't handle the houses even though he's terribly curious.

 

[In a hurry]

We see so many kids who are scared to death of Halloween. I don't think it is the holiday, as much as the commercials and programs on TV have such scary/violent themes. I feel so bad for them!

 

[RadioNate]

my ds hates Halloween. He isn't really scared but he has NO desire to dress up, trick or treat or anything like that. Like aprincessmom's DD he does like to carve pumpkins as long as they get a 'funny' face!

For school today he wore his White Sox shirt and I made him bring a mitt along. I couldn't get him into a costume. I couldn't find his Spurs jersey this morning so a T shirt it is. Now we'll see if he'll go back to school this afternoon for the party!