As the fall gets underway and Halloween time approaches, it is not unusual for children to have fears of the dark, monsters, and spiders.
While many children and adults look forward to Halloween because of fun costumes and good candy, some kids become terrified when Halloween decorations, scary masks and costumes, and haunted houses start to pop up.
One of the advantages and strengths of children is their wonderfully vivid imaginations.
Kids can play for hours on end with the most imaginative play themes.
However, this imagination sometimes gets the worst of them.
Some of these fears may be more evident during Halloween season or they may persist all year long.
Sometimes we see kids really suffering, especially when they have a hard time shaking the fear that monsters are real and they are in danger.
While some kids outgrow worries and fears of monsters and all things dark relatively quickly and may not seem too bothered by these topics, other kids, especially those prone to anxiety, may be fearful, worried, and nervous for longer than you would expect.
Don’t fret, these phobias are typical ways that anxiety can manifest itself in childhood and there is a lot we can do to help.
When I talk to kids in my practice I help them understand their anxiety by calling it “worry pests”.
I teach them that these worry pests can be very annoying, especially when they play tricks on kids and trick them into believing that their worst fears will come true.
Kids can learn to be brave, figure out the worry pest tricks, and get back to living their lives.
If you are wondering what some signs are that your child is struggling with Halloween related anxiety take a look below:
1. Excessive fear of monsters. I have seen a great increase in zombie fears this past year that may be due to their increasing popularity in TV shows, movies, and books.
2. Hiding from Halloween stores, costumes, decorations, haunted houses, shows, and activities.
3. Excessively asking parents and adults for reassurance and physical complaints such as various aches and pains.
4. Refusing to sleep in their own beds.
5. Excessively checking to see if they are safe or avoiding activities.
Here are some ideas for how to help your child:
1. Notice if these fears occur all year long or only during Halloween.
2. Have a calming attitude about these fears and don’t give into avoidance or excessively reassuring.
3. Role model approaching the feared objects with a matter of fact attitude and simply describe what you see: “Oh this costume has a lot of fake red blood and green slime” without adding adjectives like it is scary or gross.
4. Talk about fun parts of Halloween including creative costume ideas, parties, and trick or treating.
5. Notice if there is an underlying fear of death or harm and address these concerns with your child.
6. If you think the problem is more severe and doesn’t go away, seek professional help.
7. Catch your child being brave and let them know you notice! Remember your child doesn’t have to like horror movies or images, we just don’t want your child to be paralyzed with fear and worry so they can get back to the important business of being a kid!
If you want to speak to a psychologist about fears and anxiety, please schedule an free 10 minute consultation with my online scheduler, using the tab below that says “Book Online Now”
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