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How many parents out there allow your kids to dress up for Halloween?

I was reading an article recently that shared different parents’ views on the holiday and why they did or did not participate. Some of the opinions were extremely polarized about Halloween and I’m just curious what people think about it. I personally let my child dress up, nothing scary or gross, I’m definitely against all the gore and blood, and then we go to a festival at our church. Do you let your child participate in Halloween activities, why or why not?
Wow, I walk away from the computer for a couple of hours and I come back to all these great answers! Thanks everyone so far, lots of different opinions out there. Thanks to all who have been respectful of others choices about this, clearly it’s a bit of a hot topic.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010 at 2:01 am and is filed under Halloween Activities. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

36 Responses to “How many parents out there allow your kids to dress up for Halloween?”

  1. I think that part of having a happy childhood is parents helping a child to use their imaginations. My son is one and half and this year he is going to be a lion for halloween as a parent i look forward to birthdays, haloween, christmas, thanksgiving and such. I want to help my child be happy and creative. Enjoy the fun things in life. My child makes my life happy. People over critizice everything

  2. First of all, Halloween is NOT a holiday! It’s just a time to have a little fun and for the stores to make a great deal of money on costumes and candy. Just because the children dress up as ghosts or witches or dead presidents, it doesn’t mean that they believe in any of it…its just for fun. Lighten up!

  3. yes, i do and he’s only 11 months old. Halloween is my favorite holiday and i have been dressing up every year since i was a kid.

  4. spoiled_brat0813 on March 23rd, 2010 at 2:01 am

    I do, However i make sure that whatever they have on is age appropriate. I only allow them to go around to house we know and then to the mall. I don’t see the harm in it.

  5. i let my children participate because i did as a child. usually the people who don’t let their kids participate is because of religion and devil worship it is all a matter of religion as far as i’m concerned.

  6. My kids are allowed to dress up as whatever they like [to an extent] They are allowed to participate in all halloween activities except for bobbing for apples [too many germs in there] Also they need a parent to come trick-or-treating with them [they are 7]

  7. We have 3 kids 10,8 & 3. We let them dress up. But we don’t do the trick or treat house to house thing because of the fear of the idiots out there that put things in candy etc.. We usually host a Halloween party. And we also take the kids the the Retirment home, because the seniors enjoy seeing the kids. This way our kids can participate in Halloween, but we know they are safe.

  8. tateronmycouch on March 23rd, 2010 at 2:01 am

    I absolutely do. Children are slowly losing all of the fun and innocent play because parents are finding fault with everything in the world. Kids NEED to be kids and have the wonderment of pretend and mystery and the fun of being scared. We’re trying to take too much away from them in trying to keep them "safe". They’re growing up not knowing the simple pleasures that we did when we were kids.

  9. I dont like it, but I dont want them to feel left out. I prefer also to take my kids to our church festivals, etc…I hardly ever did much on Halloween when I was a kid. I did a few times and went to school carnivals, or maybe trick or treating to friends and families houses, but not all over the neighborhood. I just dont like it.

  10. I don’t

  11. I don’t have any kids, but if I did, I would allow them to dress up for Halloween.

  12. Yes, as long as my son chooses an appropriate costume that is not bloody or gorey!

  13. Make Halloween a day for you and your child to have great fun!!
    There is nothing wrong with your child dressing up.
    This should be a fun day for both parent and child.

    Have Fun

    Clive Jenkins

    Expert Ezine Author

    Parenting Tips | Parenting Toddlers | Parenting Teenagers
    http://www.parentingtipssite.com

  14. I sure do. My son turned five this past July, and he wants to dress up as SpongeBob. Why not? I’m going to take him trick-or-treating with my sister-in-law. It’s fun and hey we all get free candy. I don’t see any problem with it.
    I know that some people see it as a pagan ritual that deals with devil worship and so on, but I really don’t think that is an issue. At least not with little kids–let’s face it, for them it’s about dressing up and getting candy, and getting to stay up later on a school night. It’s all in good fun, to me–or at least it should be. I think it is the adults that make something bad out of it–little kids are innocent until we ‘grown-ups’ teach them otherwise. Shame on us.

  15. we never celebrated halloween, my kids have only started celebrating within the last 10 years. i was surprised when they came home from school with halloween stuff……i don’t even know what halloween is all about!??

  16. I have always looked at this holiday as a time for the children to bob for apples, carve pumpkins and yes of course dress up and express themselves as they wish as long as it is age appropriate. Children need to have fun, it helps break up all of the homework and seriousness of the world around them.

  17. yes, its fun. i loved it as a kid and i want my daughter to be able to enjoy it.

  18. yes i let my daughter dress up for halloween, i let her pick whatever she wants to be (she is 6 yrs old) last year she was Samara from ‘The Ring’ the year before she was a fairy. the year before that she was a ballerina. This year she wanted to be the Corpse Bride but shes still deciding. Its for fun so I let her do it. I go trick or treating with her but i tell her that she may not get to eat all the candy that they give her, her dad and I inspect it thouroughly or as best we can before we let her eat any of it. I never got to go because my mom was against it for religious beliefs, so I enjoy taking my daughter out. I never got to do it when i was little and i hated it. I do think its super pagan but its just for fun and i dont see harm in it.

  19. My Great Grandfather was born in 1870. He and the community both dressed up and celebrated Halloween. They did it a little different by going to one place and having a party. Their fun came from scaring each other both in coming to and leaving the party. My Great Grandfather was a very religous man and also loved a good time

  20. Yes I dress them up every year since they were born.

  21. My family doesn’t participate in Halloween. So No, My 3 yr old won’t be dressing up. It goes against our religious beliefs.

    We always have and always will go to our church’s fall festival- DRESSING UP IS NOT ALLOWED- and the kids have always had more fun there than they would have dressing up and going trick or treating. Think about it- what sounds more fun anyway…

    Dressing up in uncomfortable costumes riding around to houses begging for candy.

    OR

    Hanging out with friends at church, playing games, hay rides, good food and getting candy.

    I’ll take the latter one any day!

  22. My son loves to dress up and go trick or treating, we limit it too our neighbors and family members, so we know it is safe, or we go to the local mall that has an event which is crazy but fun.

    I used to go trick or treating all the time when I was a kid, I think its more or less how your family did things. My friend doesnt take her kids at all, but they dress up for school, and go to a big party at their aunts house, this way they have fun, but dont get out into the neighborhood.

  23. yeah they children

  24. i let my boys dress up 1 time then i would not let them go for three years they were mad. then last year i let them do it again, i think only because i was pregnant and i was crazy. they are also going this year but who knows about next year.

  25. ♦gottarace♥43♦ on March 23rd, 2010 at 2:01 am

    My kids dress up. We go to our church for Halloween activities and if its not to cold we will let them trick or treat. My oldest likes to dress up and work the haunted house my uncle puts up.

  26. I am girl who 12 and i never been allowed go trick-or-treating but every year we go to fall festival our church have and you get candy and to play games an do things there but we do get to dress up but not anyething scarey or reall bad like that.

  27. Well since I am a first time mom I am dressing my three month old up as a little horse and we are passing out candy for the older kids

    I am all for dressing kids up but not as something that is too scary for others

    When teenagers and young adults dress up and go to their own parties then they can were whatever they like as long as kids are not around

  28. jaredkristenandjustinsmom on March 23rd, 2010 at 2:01 am

    My kids dress up for Halloween and go trick or treating,I don’t most of the time mind what they dress up as,I don’t see anything wrong with it as long as you aren’t out there doing bad things,We don’t worship the devil we just have fun.

  29. It is so sad how the freaked out right wing christian fundamentalists are trying to ruin this fabulous holiday. Of course we participate! It’s a grand community tradition, the source of many fun memories, and future good times.

    It’s also psychologically very health for children to dress up as alter egos and prowl the nighttime, confronting scary images while safe at mommy’s side.

    It’s a brilliant and terrific holiday. I wish the right wing fundies would get out of the middle ages and grow up.

  30. My kids were always allowed to dress up at halloween time and we, my husband and I, took them around to their aunts and the grandparents houses. ONe year our church had a halloween festival and we went to a haunted house. The kids were so scared by this that they never wanted to dress up or go trick or treating again so I never made them or suggested it again.

  31. I love Halloween! I have 2 girls and they love to dress up! It’s a harmless day. I take them to a few houses and to a celebration it’s all fun

  32. i have a 1 yr old and this is her 2nd halloween and i have and will continue to let her dress up for Halloween. I am a Chrisitan and i know lots of ppl that think that Halloween is "the devil’s night" or something stupid like that. I however think that as long as your children are just having clean fun and not getting into trouble it is find. I think that it is a great way for children to become something they want to be and if you are taking your children trick-or-treating or they are with a responsible adult i see no problem with it.

  33. my church dosent believe in holloween the whole devils bday thing but i think its ok as long as u celebrate it in the right ways ive always been allowed to dress up

  34. I think halloween is what you make it. If someone chooses to make it an evil, satanic occasion, then that is what it is to them. But if you just make it a day to dress up (make believe) and go trick or treating, then I don’t see anything wrong with it. I personally want my kids to feel like they do things just like all their friends.

  35. YES I LET MY KIDS DRESS UP. THE ONE DAY OF THE YEAR THEY CAN MAKE BELIEVE AND BE THEIR FAVORITE PRINCESS OR SUPERHERO. WHY NOT?TRICK OR TREATING PART WORRIES ME THESE DAYS THOUGH WITH OUR SOCIETY THE WAY IT IS. I ONLY TAKE MY KIDS AROUND TO PEOPLE I KNOW .

  36. I let my kids dress up. It’s a day of fun and I wouldnt take that away from them for the world.

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