It’s the time of year when ghosts, goblins, zombies, and ghouls roam the streets asking for candy. While many kids find it fun to be part of the tricks and treats, others may be overwhelmed or scared. That was the case for author Sands Hetherington when he was raising his son, John. In 2019, Sands wrote about five-year-old John’s fears and how they impacted how he wrote the Night Buddies books.
Before sharing Sand’s thoughts, here are three ways to help a child who is scared or nervous about Halloween.
- Talk about Halloween. Explain the events you’ll take your child to and what to expect. Remind them that costumes are people pretending. Ensure you will be with them and encourage them to let you know if they feel scared. Perhaps you can have a signal—squeezing your hand, whispering a secret word—they can use to let you know they don’t like what’s going on.
- Talk with older kids. Gently remind older siblings and friends that not everyone enjoys being surprised or scared, even on Halloween. Brainstorm ideas on how to make Halloween respectful and fun.
- Choose activities your child will enjoy. Perhaps this isn’t the year for costumes and haunted houses. Your child might enjoy a pumpkin patch or cookie-making night instead. Never shame your child for their fears. Let them help set the agenda for how you observe Halloween.
Now, Sand’s thoughts on how he handles young John’s fears:
____________________________________
When my son was about five years old, he was afraid of almost everything! I had to be very careful about what he was allowed to watch, what he was allowed to read, and what “scary stories” he heard from his friends. This became especially difficult around this time of year, with Halloween near and scary stories all around. And that’s where Crosley came in.
The Night Buddies books are the perfect Halloween stories without a scare in them—just a fun, talking crocodile who visits in the middle of the night! Here’s a little background on the books for those of you who want to see if they’re right for your kiddos.
In the first book in the series, Night Buddies and The Pineapple Cheesecake Scare, when pineapple cheesecakes start disappearing from the world’s only Pineapple Cheesecake Factory across town, Crosley, a zany red crocodile, enlists the help of young John Degraffenreidt to straighten things out. In this adventure fantasy, the unlikely pair sneaks out of John’s house by becoming invisible, thanks to the I-ain’t-here doodad Crosley uses from the bunch of whatchamacallits hanging on his belt.
On the way to the subway, they get better acquainted, and John finds out the wacky reason Crosley is red and what happens if he gets any water on him. They get on the Night Folks Limited train and ride all the way to the Cheesecake Factory, where they meet the giant manager, Big Foot Mae.
There is danger ahead, but the Night Buddies must stay with their “Program” (the Night Buddies word for Adventure) if the world’s supply of pineapple cheesecakes counts for anything. And it surely does, especially to Crosley, who is totally goofy about things and never seems to get his fill.