Halloween Costume Anxiety

Many children LOVE the opportunity to wear costumes on Halloween. They jump at the opportunity to dress up like someone else and truly enjoy the process of choosing a costume. There are some children who do not share this joy and really struggle with Halloween because of their feeling about costumes.

Children may not like the way that a costume feels when they wear it. If this is the case then getting creative and identifying costumes that can be created with the types of clothing that a child already enjoys wearing.

Other children struggle with the idea of dressing like someone else. They may not want to be anyone or anything else, they just want to be themselves.

Some children have a hard time with costumes that require masks, face paint or wigs. All of these can feel uncomfortable, but they also really change a child’s appearance, and seeing themselves in the mirror while wearing these can be shocking for children.

There are also children who don’t like to see others in costume. They don’t like that some costumes might be scary, and they may have a hard time identifying who is actually in the costume.

The best way to support children with these fears is to stress that we all get to do Halloween in a way that makes us feel safe and comfortable. If that means not wearing a costume, that’s totally fine. If that means wearing a character sweatshirt and calling it a costume, that’s fine too. If a child would rather stay home and not trick or treat, that’s a valid choice. Holidays should be fun and we should enjoy them however we like!