Appropriate Halloween costumes for younger kids
By Suzieqmom
@Suzieqmom (2755)
United States
September 26, 2010 7:54pm CST
Have you noticed that kids' Halloween costumes are becoming more gory and scary every year? This year, I saw some costumes for young kids that I thought were totally inappropriate. One was an infectious bacterial disease, complete with blood spatters and oozing pustules on the costume. Another was a skeleton with a beating heart in his rib cage, and the child is supposed to infuse the heart with red "blood" from a pump in the costume. Of course it also has bloody wounds on it. There are evil psycho clown costumes, bloody grim reaper & death costumes, Freddy Kruger, Leatherface, zombie doctor costumes--each one with blood or gore, horrible deformed or screaming masks, or other really graphic, scary depictions. And these are not costumes for teenagers--these are for 6 year-olds! I love Halloween, and I love dressing up my kids (and myself) but I really think these types of costumes are not appropriate for younger kids. Am I too old-fashioned? Should parents let their kdis wear these types of costumes? What do you think?
1 person likes this
9 responses
@pinoycity (575)
• Philippines
27 Sep 10
Any costumes in which a kid will be comfortable is OK. Forcing some kids into a costume which they do not like because they are not comfortable with it, is a bad idea.
@tallymommy77 (35)
• United States
1 Oct 10
So you have NO restrictions? They can be a devil or a demon?
@pinoycity (575)
• Philippines
2 Oct 10
Well, yes. I see no problem with that. After all, its halloween, I don't think its appropriate to dress them as fairy or angels. On the second thought ......
@Wordjunkie (435)
• Canada
27 Sep 10
I agree costumes for children are getting too grusome. I always tried to convince my kiddies to choose costumes appropriate for their age and for children. When they were real young under five, I choose cutesie costumes for my children Winnie the Pooh, cuddly animals, etc., not really Haloween theme but I choose for comfort as I live in an area which can be cold on Haloween night and wanted warm costumes.
Over five I usually let my children pick their costume as long as they didn't go for too gory costumes. But I noticed then too that the choices for costumes were more grusome. What ever happened to the witch, dracula, frankenstein, wolf and ghost costumes? You hardly see these anymore. When I was a child most children didn't use store bought costumes other than maybe a mask, that was part of the fun making a costume. If you couldn't think of anything to make and you ran out of time there was always one of Moms old sheets to cut eyeholes in and use at the last minute.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
28 Sep 10
Maybe I'll suggest the ghost idea to my kids. I won't even let them look at the really gory costumes yet--I try to steer them towards the Draculas or the Superheroes too. We'll see how successful I am this year.
1 person likes this
@Wordjunkie (435)
• Canada
28 Sep 10
I think that costumes today are terribly over-priced as well. I was with my daughter last Haloween when she was looking for a costume for her four year old. She settled for a skelton costume, it was a complete full body outfit, appropriate for a child his age, the front of the costume had like sparkly lights on it, think it was suppose to be a safety feature, ran on batteries. She paid over thirty dollars for it, I did not think it was worth it. I have a box of Haloween costumes packed away in my basement, I offered to let her go throught them, most have only been used once but she wanted to get him a new one. I had a skeleton costume as well minus the sparkly lights. I hated to get rid of them seems such a waste to use them once and get rid of them. I think I`ll get them out and go through them and pick out all the best ones and donate them somewhere this Haloween.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
28 Sep 10
That's a great idea for a girl, but it's a little harder for boys (they don't usually like to dress up!). But I do that with their Spiderman and Star Wars costumes--they use them after Halloween as play clothes.
@sender621 (14893)
• United States
27 Sep 10
Some Halloween costumes just don't seem to make any sense. Costumes used to be so traditional. now they just seem to be about the latest trend instead. @Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
28 Sep 10
I know what you mean--I saw a kids' costume one for the Travelocity gnome the other day--do they even know what he is???
@madteaparty (2748)
• Japan
27 Sep 10
Oh my god, did you really see those costumes in kids? You won't agree with me, but I think that's absolutely cool 
Parents are putting so much effort in it, so I think it's ok. Also, kids are used to gore and scary stuff since they're little, so I see nothing wrong with it. They don't get scared as easily as 20 years ago anymore 
Parents are putting so much effort in it, so I think it's ok. Also, kids are used to gore and scary stuff since they're little, so I see nothing wrong with it. They don't get scared as easily as 20 years ago anymore @Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
28 Sep 10
I saw these costumes in costume catalogs--parents aren't making them. I appreciate your candor--it makes for a better discussion when there are opposing points of view. But would you really let your 6-year-old wear a costume showing someone suffering from an incurable infectious disease?
@SilverKing (1003)
• Canada
27 Sep 10
I would say that an appropriate costume for younger kids would be a ghost or a popular action hero or cartoon character such as spongebob or homer simpson.I think that a friendy charactrer is better for children's minds at a young age rather then dressing like a deamon or serial killer.When kids are young they soak in all the actions and evens and language around them and if they see something of a violent nature they may think that is acceptable in society.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
28 Sep 10
Very insightful response, and I agree. How does a parent let a 6-year-old dress up like Freddy Krugger and not have to explain what a serial killer is? And why would you want you young child to be dressed like that? Teenagers are different; even though they may not truly understand theviolence, they have already been exposed to it. But I agree that to expose little kids to these concepts makes it too easy for them to accept them without question.
@tallymommy77 (35)
• United States
1 Oct 10
As a Christian family we don't allow our child to wear anything glorifying evil or pagan...parents may think it's innocent, but they are desensitizing their child to evil things...and no, I'm not a fanatic that can't think for herself, but one only has to look around them to see how kids behave now...
@asyria51 (2861)
• United States
27 Sep 10
I only have a two year old. Last year she went as a lady bug. This year we have not decided, but I do know what you are talking about. The gory and the scary is not quite as disturbing as the ones that sexualize the young kids, showing off skin etc. You are the parent, and ultimately you get to make the decision if your child goes out in something or not. Also, you set the trick or treating rules. If you get the kids in early enough, hopefully they will not be exposed to the truly gory.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
28 Sep 10
That's a good point, although it's harder when Halloween is on a weekend, like it is this year. We try to take them to "younger places" like trick or treating at the local mall, and then only go around our neighborhood on Halloween night. Since we know most of the neighbors, we know that most of their kids are too young to wear really gory costumes.
@existwithme (122)
• United States
27 Sep 10
I believe that too. They are getting to gory for such a young age, like what is it teaching these kids. Not only is it getting gory for the younger kids, for the teenagers I think they are starting to get to showy to quick. I see young teenagers wearing outfits that I would not approve of them wearing even if it is halloween. Just because it's halloween i do not believe they should wear what ever they want. Halloween was meant to be a fun holiday for kids to dress up and get candy each year it is getting worse and worse and it makes me wonder how far it is going to go once I have kids. What is halloween going to be like then. I hope something will come alond making more kids keep halloween a clean family friendly holiday.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
28 Sep 10
I completely agree. I have no problem with kids wearing "make-up" for Halloween to look like a cat or a butterfly or princess or pretty witch, but why do people allow their girls to dress in such revealing costumes at such a young age?
