Don’t Fear the Monster…anymore
What's your favorite part of Halloween? Pumpkin carving? Trick-or-Treating? Cooking s'mores over a fire?
S'mores, costumes, and the thrill of trick-or-treating, I love it all! I am so excited to have grandkids…mainly for the excuse to go trick-or-treating again!
Halloween is just around the corner, and whether you're planning on going as something scary or as something sweet, it's never too early to share the rich history behind this spooky autumn celebration.
Do you know them? Do your grandkids?
There is much debate around the origins of trick-or-treating, but generally, there are three theories. The first theory suggests that, at the end of harvest, Celtic people would leave food out to appease the spirits traveling the Earth at night. Over time, people began to dress as these unearthly beings in exchange for similar offerings of food and drink.
The second theory speculates that the candy windfall stems from a Scottish practice. During the Middle Ages, children would collect food and money from local homes in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls’ Day. Today, Americans spend an estimated $2.6 billion on candy on Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation, and the day has become the nation's second-largest commercial holiday.
A third theory argues that modern American trick-or-treating stems from a German American tradition where children would dress in costume and then call on their neighbors to see if the adults could guess the identities of the disguised. In one version, the children were rewarded with food or other treats if no one could identify them.
Regardless of where the tradition began, don't forget to think about how Halloween will affect your grandkids! From stranger danger to scary costumes, dinosaurs, ghosts, monsters…everywhere. Figuring out what is real and what is fantasy can make Halloween a real-life horror movie for little kids. Throw in scary music, masks, and the obligatory R-0-A-R! or BOO! An ordinarily friendly face could feel like a foe!
There are a number of ways to make Halloween less scary. If you notice that they're a little more skittish than usual, that is normal. Halloween can be scary for kids of any age. Here are a few ways to make sure that Halloween doesn't end in a fright this year!
If something scares them in the moment, talk about what scares them. Try to find out why they are afraid and then talk about how they can deal with their fears.
o Get them where there are lights and less noise and talk about what precisely is scaring them.
o Is it a dinosaur costume? Ask the dinosaur to take off their mask so your grandkid can see a person behind it.
o Is it sound? As you walk with them, have them wear headsets to muffle the sound.
o Is it approaching someone's house? Go up with them.
How about reading our book, Don't Fear the Monster, it tells a story about how they can deal with their fears and find their voice.
Of course, a bowl of popcorn, and a happy Halloween movie like "Trick or Treat," a cartoon produced by Disney featuring Donald Duck and his nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie, could be a great way to spend the evening too.
Whatever you're planning this Halloween, we hope you have a wonderful time, and stay safe! Happy Halloween.
