Halloween: Being mindful with fear
by Christina, Wee Seeds Creator
Whether you are taking to the streets socially distanced, or planning a little spooky fun at home, there’s plenty of Halloween around. All those Zombies, ghouls, and vampires! If some grown ups can be spooked by these get-ups, then how do you think our little people feel?
A few years ago our neighbours had a motion-sensored moving Zombie in the doorway. You can imagine how that went down on a dark and spooky Halloween night with my three-year old!
So ahead of the Halloween shenanigans, we wanted to give you FOUR TOP TIPS on helping your family navigate the next few days.
Pay attention — As a parent it’s easy to get caught up, but pay some extra attention this weekend, especially with younger children, or wee ones you know are easily spooked!
Be their anchor — Support them if they’re feeling scared, rather than brushing it off. Let them know you sometimes feel scared too and that you’re here for them if they need a cuddle, or a break from the celebrations.
Be prepared — Have some calming tricks up your sleeve. Here’s some quick wins.
- 🎃 Pumpkin (Belly) Breathing. Try breathing deep down into your tummy and seeing you can make it blow up like a pumpkin. In and out three or four times.
- 👻 Ghost Cuddles. Try giving each other a hug and focus on feeling your heartbeat together while you breathe together. Maybe imagine you’re both ghosts and can sink even further into each other and your hug.
- 🎃 Say Boo. Use the scary boo sound as their out breath. So take a big deep breath in and as you breath out say Boooooooo!
Stop — There’s no shame in giving up, especially if your child is upset. Talk to them beforehand about how they can tell you when they have had enough fun.
Happy Halloween. Stay safe.
Christina & the Wee Seeds Team. x
