Your kid chose a Halloween costume — and now they hate it. Here's advice
After weeks of indecision and multiple trips to the store, your kid finally chose a Halloween costume — except now, they’ve changed their mind. Say, what?
It’s annoying and potentially costly, but it's normal for kids to flip-flop on their costumes.
“Some children change their minds about costumes once a week or go back and forth between three different options,” Zeltser, the clinical director of psychology, training and special projects at Manhattan Psychology Group, tells TODAY.com. “The question is, how much time do you have to make a final decision and what other options do you have?”
Is it option overload or the Halloween creep that has costume conversations starting in the summer? This year, Spirit Halloween opened its flagship store on Aug. 1, while retailers like Party City sell costumes all year-round.
“As with many major holidays and spending events, many consumers like to get an early start on their Halloween shopping,” Katherine Cullen, vice president of industry and consumer insights at the National Retail Federation, tells TODAY.com. “Last year, 45% of those celebrating said they planned to start shopping for Halloween items in September or earlier, up from 37% in 2018.”
Zeltser adds that the ease of online shopping makes ordering a costume (or two or three) and returning or exchanging a whim more appealing, compared to Halloweens in the past when it meant a full trip to a costume store.
Here's how parents can guide children toward a choice they're happy with and save themselves the hassle.
Start thinking about Halloween costumes early
If your kid develops specific interest in a television show, video game or historical character, write it down, as it could inspire a costume idea, suggests Zeltser.
Then, six weeks before Halloween, revisit the list with your child to ascertain their enthusiasm. Kids might also vet costume ideas with people whose opinions they value, like siblings or friends.
Help narrow the list by asking: Do you want a funny, cute or scary theme? Is it more important to match your friends or look different? Do you prefer a store-bought or homemade costume?
Zeltser says kids can visualize by looking at screenshots or printed photos of different costumes. Otherwise, some AI tools have "head swap" options to place an image of your child's head on, for example, a model wearing the costume of their choice.
Try on Halloween costumes ASAP
Whether or not you have the bandwidth to visit the Halloween store 47 times or spend hours online shopping, is up to you.
When your child does choose a costume, have them wear it around the house, to make sure the look and fit is comfortable.
Zeltser suggests keeping weather in mind — does your kid need to wear a coat over or under their costume or trade a prop for an umbrella?
If kids are stuck between two options, consider a backup costume. That doesn't always mean purchasing a second costume, as you may still have last year's get-up, a hand-me-down, or can cobble a costume together with items in your closet.
Zeltser points out that Halloween is typically celebrated all month long — with school celebrations, town festivals and house parties — creating multiple opportunities to wear different costumes and preserve those memories in photos.
Help kids make peace with their costume choice
What happens if your kid makes a final choice and they're still unhappy?
Sometimes the only conclusion is, “We have a costume, you can either wear it or your backup,” says Zeltser.
Explain that costumes aren't the only Halloween tradition — it's also about staying out with friends, catching a spooky thrill and eating candy.
"Setting reasonable and realistic expectations are important," says Zeltser. "Costumes can tear, weather can be lousy, neighbors can run out of candy and someone will not win the best costume award. Remember that it's not a situation itself that leads to disappointment, rather the child’s interpretation of it."
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
