Thursday, January 1, 2009

Kids Halloween Costumes That Will Scare the Pants off You

By Susan West

For children, Halloween is a magical time because they get to take what may be their favorite pastime of fantasy and turn it into an all-day event. What comes before the Halloween night is just as much fun as trick-or-treating itself. For children who would like to be scary creatures, this is one time when they can be encouraged to do so. You might not know that research has shown that children who pretend to be the scariest of Halloween creatures are far less likely to be afraid of imaginary monsters they encounter. So find that perfect Halloween costume for your child and start the night off with a magical tone.

Halloween is the one night of year when you can see Frankenstein lumbering along the sidewalk alongside Cinderella, hand-in-hand. Perhaps more than any other holiday besides Christmas, Halloween is the perfect holiday for children. In addition, Halloween can be rewarding for parents, too. After all, this is the one night of year when parents, too, can break out of their mold and become whomever they wish for just one night.

Children love make-believe and dress-up. What better time to enjoy this than at Halloween? Even though some have misgivings about the holiday, celebrate it for what it is; a time to pretend. If your child's Halloween costume choice is Count Dracula don't worry. Ignoring the notion of monsters or ghosts does not do your child any favors. Teach them that it's ok to face a monster. That monster could be either a kids Halloween costume or a personal fear. Addressing a fear is one thing, and celebrating it is another. It's widely debated whether participating with Halloween costumes is considered "celebrating." That decision is up to you. Regardless of your position, you have to admit that dress up is fun for children and that is exactly the purpose of a childs Halloween costume.

I saw a ghoulish princess last year, all dapper and primped in her little dress and her tiara. From the back she looked like just another princess in the sea of little girl dreams. When she turned around, her hallowed out eyes and the fake blood that ran from her lips was quite convincing. The stuffed animal she carried with her had its guts sewn to the outside, to make it look like the little princess had a snack before her treats. Creepy? Yes. Imaginative? Absolutely. Harmful? Not a chance.

Many towns no longer participate in trick-or-treat for their children, in large part because of safety concerns, what with child abductions and the like making news every day. In these cases, festivities have often simply moved indoors, where costumes can still be outrageous and you can have fun, even if you can't go door-to-door.

Of course you can decide to stay at home this Halloween. What ever you decide is entirely up to you. But, on the other hand, you can use this day to nurture and grow your child's creativity. Designing a child's Halloween costume is a fun thing for parents and children to do together. Of course you don't want to forget to carve the pumpkin!

After you and Johnny and little Suzy decide on a theme, search online together for child's costume ideas. Just go for it! The crazier the better! The kids will zigzag back and forth between costume ideas, but gently keep them headed in a direction. Allow plenty of time to create the kids Halloween costumes and this will be an activity everyone will always remember. Edited by Glinda Zuladra - 15485

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