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A Safe and Simple Halloween
Tips for Celebrating the Holiday with Preschoolers
By Jill Eggleton Brett
Halloween can be a fun-filled time of year for children of all ages. However, when the ghouls and goblins abound this October 31, how will you explain Halloween to your preschooler? After all, they will see pumpkins and candy mixed with frightful masks and people shouting "Boo!" Parents can be sure the Halloween festivities are lighthearted and full of good memories if they keep them simple and safe.
"I integrate the concepts of make-believe and reality," says Ana Hernandez, a preschool teacher in Fontana, Calif. "Children are already familiar with these concepts, so explain that a person's scary mask is make-believe – but there's a real person underneath it." Hernandez says that this will help ease the shock and confusion some preschoolers may encounter on Halloween, due to the wide variety of costumes they will see that night.
"Our family focuses on the 'fun' aspect of Halloween," says Michele McNally, mother of three in West Chester, Ohio. "We don't go into the historical details of the holiday and discuss all the facets of ghosts and spirits, etc. Why expose my kids to that when they won't comprehend it and let their imaginations run wild?"
"I haven't even explained Halloween to my preschooler yet," says Kendra Lutz, mother of four in Miamisburg, Ohio. "She's too young to understand the 'good versus evil' debate surrounding the holiday. She just knows that she gets to dress up and get candy. I'm getting a kick out of her costume dilemma: Cinderella or a ghost?"
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