Why You SHOULD Scare Your Kids This Halloween
To many parents, seeing a mother and her five-year-old daughter in line for a haunted house with hoards of teenagers and adults might look a little bit concerning. You might ask yourself, “Can a child that young really understand that haunted houses aren’t real?” “What if she’s traumatized for life?”
Well, the mother in that scenario happens to be my mother, and I can proudly say that she did not cause me any Halloween-induced trauma. I have been going to haunted houses yearly with my family since I was five years old. The first time we arrived, one of the owners actually pulled my mother aside and tried to convince her not to take me through.
To the owner’s surprise, I handled the experience extremely well, even giving one of the bloody clowns a hug. As much as I would love to say that I was a fearless child, my parents made a huge impact on how I reacted to fear by preparing me for the haunted house beforehand. They reassured me that everything inside was not real and the “monsters” were actors who were trying to scare me. They also told me that if I ever wanted to leave, there were exits throughout the house and we could go home at any time.
When it comes to taking your young kids to haunted houses, it is up to the parents to set their children up for success.
In fact, Dr. Laura Saunders with Hartfort Healthcare explains that “it’s based on temperament. You know your child. If your child is interested and they want to go, I would suggest having a conversation with them about what’s real and what’s not.”
Saunders also mentions that you should never force your child to go and remind them that there is always an exit nearby.
I spoke with Michael Talarico, owner of The Empty Grave Haunted House in Longmont, Colorado, and he gave me his insight as someone who runs a haunted house with his family and 3 young children.
“We’ve been doing this professionally for about 15 years, and my kiddos are still young. But we’ve always said that you should leave it to the parent’s discretion. A parent should really know their kid best and know what they are capable of handling,” he said.
Talarico also told me that his kids help him build the haunted house, and they get the experience of watching it come together and seeing the final product. He also frequently takes his kids for joyrides in a hearse.
“It’s something that ultimately could be a great bonding experience for the parent and child as well. Going to a haunted house, having a good time and getting scared together with your parents is a super cool thing,” Talarico said.
Aside from building trust and providing a good family experience, haunted houses can also help kids get comfortable with fear. According to Beaumont Medical, haunted houses are a great safe environment to experience the sensation of fear. After a scary experience, many people get the psychological benefits of feeling courageous, and they can be more likely to embrace fear down the road when it comes to things like applying for jobs and expressing your feelings.
I experienced these benefits myself throughout my haunted endeavors. My parents encouraged me to be brave, and they made me feel proud of myself for making it all the way through the haunted house. It was something that gave me lots of self-confidence in the future, especially with how I react to scary situations currently.
At the end of the day, it is completely up to the parent to decide if their child is ready to handle a haunted house. However, research shows that haunted houses can provide many benefits for a child’s confidence and ability to handle fear. Plus, you’ll get some really cool haunted childhood photos.
Check out these haunted houses in Fort Collins this October!
