It’s almost Halloween! Some people have a fun time and enjoy dressing up in costumes, trick-or-treating, and looking at all the spooky decorations.
Some of us have a hard time with Halloween scenes and themes. Because when you have first-hand experiences with death, cemeteries, or violent crime, those images can be upsetting. Some children and teens (even adults) can become overwhelmed by the sights and sounds. This time of year can also unexpectedly activate additional fears, worries, and other grief emotions.
If you are caring for a child or teen who is grieving, start a conversation about how they are feeling about Halloween. They may be keeping their feelings inside or not even realize that the holiday may influence them.
Simply being present and available to listen is one of the best ways to support someone who is grieving. Here are a few articles that may help you start the conversation.
https://www.dougy.org/resource-articles/fears-and-halloween
https://grievingstudents.org/.../Halloween-Mini-Article.pdf
If the sights and sounds of Halloween are feeling difficult or "too real" for you, here are some articles that we hope you find helpful.
https://refugeingrief.com/blog/halloween-grief-3
https://whatsyourgrief.com/grief-and-halloween/
