Helping kids to “Keep Calm and Carry On” this Halloween

These are unprecedented times due to the coronavirus. How many times have you heard that phrase since March? Who would have thought that we would still having to deal with the coronavirus in October?

The virus has already brought a lot of changes for both adults and children to navigate in their lives. Therefore, as kids look forward to Halloween, what will it look like this year with social distancing and mask-wearing mandates? Does it mean no trick or treating or trunk and treat events? How can you help the children in your life cope with these changes, especially in a year when so many fun events have been cancelled?

Steven Rosenberg, Ph.D. (quititnow.com), a psychotherapist and behavioral specialist practicing in Elkins Park offers these tips to help kids and families cope:

Encourage them to communicate—Give your child an opportunity to share his or her feelings. Be a good listener.

Acknowledge their feelings—Don’t argue with kids or make them feel guilty when they express sadness or anger at the cancellation of Halloween events. Show empathy and state that you feel sad and angry as well, at all the changes that the coronavirus has brought about for everyone. Give your child an opportunity to “grieve” the events he or she is missing out on.

Involve your children in coming up with alternative ways to have Halloween fun—Have a brainstorming session with your child to come up with ways he or she would like to celebrate at home or surprise them with a special treat.

Some things you can suggest include: have your child can take part in a Zoom party. If your family is part of a pod of other families, have the families in the pod participate in a Halloween get together. If neither are possible, do something fun at home, such as dressing up with your kids, holding a virtual costume contest, making treats, playing a game, watching a Halloween-themed movie, or reading a story aloud.

Focus on the positive—While disappointment in cancelled events is inevitable, try to empower your children to deal positively with their disappointment. Encourage them to focus on things they can control – like their attitude and they ways in which they deal with disappointment. Set a positive example for them by sharing examples of how you or another family member have dealt with disappointment. Tell them how proud you are of them for how they handled another difficult situation.

You can also discuss ways that your children can make Halloween nicer for others, such as cards to frontline workers, chalk art for a neighbor who is homebound, etc. Helping your children connect with others in their community helps them understand that we are all in this together and can help to create a sense of purpose while at home.

The most important thing to remember is to stay calm and try to stay positive for your children’s sake and your own. Just because this Halloween will be very different, doesn’t mean it can’t be fun and exciting!