Jeri Kayser, a Child Life specialist at Children’s, wrote this post for families.
Halloween is so entrenched in our culture that when you hear the word you are going to get as many diverse opinions about it as there are costumes on the racks at big box stores. There are also countless opportunities to gather information about making this a safe holiday. Additionally, each family is going to develop their own traditions of celebrating, or not celebrating, this holiday. So how can we add to the conversation?
I would argue that there is a developmental perspective that can help guide us as to when children are ready to be part of the festivities and how to best prepare them. Half the fun of having kids in your life is reliving the joys of childhood. Often this eagerness to be a kid again can make us overlook our children’s readiness to participate in Halloween as we buy out all of the fake blood at the store for “the most awesome haunted house ever!” (more…)
