I was recently thinking that Halloween should go back to the old Harvest Festival idea because of the decline of trick or treaters. I was originally under the assumption that parents thought that Halloween was too scary, in both a presentation sense and a concept sense, however even if that is true, it should be scary. Kids should get scared on Halloween. There’s a few reasons why:
- It’s healthy!
You may not initially think that scaring children is healthy. Technically, scaring younger children tends to be traumatic, however, once they reach older Elementary to Middle School (say, 8 to 14) they start actively seeking out scary or spooky things. Remember when you were young? One of the most common things you and kids your age did was dare each other to do something scary. Read a scary book, go to a scary place, watch a scary video, etc, etc. Not only does it prove how tough you are, but it allows for social recognition. Everyone gets scared. Experiencing that together is a healthy way to bond. Now, there are certain dares that are destructive, I’m not saying all scary places or videos on the internet aren’t damaging and downright shouldn’t be explored, but in general, these are constructive experiences.
In regards to Halloween, having a safe environment with direct supervision to experience these scares is extremely beneficial to a child’s development. Jumpscares are cheap, yes, but also the tamest. They have rising tension, an immediate scare, and immediate release of that tension. If you are familiar with tricks to calm a panic attack, you might recognize that pattern. You tense your body, and slowly release it, one muscle group at a time. It helps your body regulate it’s nervous system and mental reaction to stressors. Children having to manage that rising stress and the scare in that moment allow them to form a memory that helps them regulate for similar feelings in the future; rejection tends to elicit similar danger signals because we are inherently social creatures. Having a safe environment where they can rely on external support also helps build healthy coping mechanisms to deal with stress they couldn’t tolerate alone. Am I saying all kids should be scared? No. I was a kid who couldn’t handle it. Don’t scare kids who can’t handle it. That’s cruel. I liked scary stuff, but I needed the right gradient to help me get used to the stress. My body still can’t quite handle stress right, but the euphoria from a completed jumpscare definitely helps my brain figure out that tension and stress is temporary and shouldn’t be held on to.
2. It builds a realistic view of the world
Parents who think their children should be sheltered were often sheltered themselves or are overreacting to the fear mongering of the news. Halloween being purposefully scary but also a safe environment allows parents to see that most people aren’t as ill-meaning as media wants them to believe. Letting your kids go up to your neighborhood’s houses and ring the doorbell themselves lets parents relax and build a sense that not everyone is out to get you or your child. It fosters community connections, something that is sorely lacking in today’s Americana.
3. It’s just plain fun
People are allowed to have their own fun. I personally hate the over the top gore and scares that Universal or Knotts provide. I wish it was more like the Harvest Festival vibes. But that would be controlling how people enjoy things, which is the antithesis of Americana. Both can coexist without interfering or taking away from each other. Your kid needs to see that the world isn’t all sunshine and rainbows and that the scary things aren’t so scary in reality. People have fun their own way. Let them. And go Trick or Treating. Please? I miss the kids in costumes and handing out candy ;_;
Leave a Reply