Halloween fears are completely normal for young children, so Getting your child to sleep through the night while festive, spooky decorations are displayed everywhere can be tricky. Child Psychologist Peter Gillian explains when a child is between the ages of 2-4, they are trying to make sense of the world and, it’s often unclear what’s real and what’s make-believe. That’s awesome and endearing if they’re excited about having their favorite Disney character come to their birthday party, but not so great when they get terribly upset seeing the mechanical cackling witch at Home Depot.
Parents are often baffled when their once fearless super sleeper is suddenly restless at night, afraid of scary monster’s lurking under the bed. Never fear mom and dad. This too shall pass. So, be prepared to go with the flow as your child’s development progresses. Remember, just because they weren’t afraid last Halloween doesn’t mean they won’t be afraid this year. So, to be on the safe side, if your community is participating in candy giving during the Corona Virus, trick or treat early before the older kids and adults venture out in scary costumes. If your little one has shown fear leadings up to Halloween, have them hand out candy. Many families are opting for intimate gatherings due to the pandemic. As a result, you will have more control over your child’s costume exposure. Remember, you’re the captain of the ship, so steer toward the fun to avoid the meltdowns. This way getting your child to sleep through the night will be much easier:)
For a drama free Halloween, create fun while helping them cope with their anxiety:):).
Here’s how:
Focus on the Fun
Halloween doesn’t have to be scary at home. Make it fun! Painting and carving pumpkins, making paper masks and baking cookies always create smiles and giggles! In fact, while you are making the masks, you can talk about how they aren’t real. Model wearing the mask, showing the mask is not you, it’s just paper. While carving the pumpkin, you can talk about how the pumpkin is not real just because we put a face on it. Take any opportunity to help them separate fact from fiction;)
The Breathing Game
The Breathing Game is a kid friendly way to educate children. As they see and feel breathing, they better understand how Halloween costumes work. Have a playdate with your child. Talk about how you both are going to “pretend” to be detectives, but you really aren’t detectives. Next, as pretend experts, explore feeling each other’s breath through the nose and mouth. Then, see the breath as you fog up a mirror or window. Next, begin a treasure hunt for objects with breath. If it doesn’t make breath, then it’s not living. If there is a kid friendly Halloween mask handy, hold it separate from your face to demonstrate, like with the paper masks, the mask is not alive and that there is a friendly, happy person underneath. Take your time and have fun on your playdate! They grow up fast, so savor every moment:)
I Spy
Playing I spy is always fun. Instead of spotting the usual colors or shapes, spot “something that’s living”. A cat, dog, squirrel, person, bird, insect, trees, grass, flowers….you get the idea. Here’s a teaching opportunity to explain how some things in nature breathe differently than us, but they still breathe in their own way. And, of course, spot things that are not living, like tires, tables, dishes and dolls. The more we talk about the differences between living and non-living things, the easier children absorb the information, adapt and integrate it into their thinking process.
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We understand first hand how getting your child to sleep through the night can be difficult at times. That’s why we created sheets that help keep your little one comfy covered. Research show’s when kids stay covered, they sleep better. And when they sleep, they YOU sleep. It’s that simple:) If you haven’t tried us yet, give us a try for 30 nights or naps risk free and get the sound sleep you deserve:)