Super Heroes and Fairy Princesses

Happy Halloween to all. What a fun time this is for kids. Costume parties at school, trick or treating in the neighborhood, then the inevitable tummy aches from all that candy. When I started writing this, I wasn't sure where I was going with it. But, it occurs to me that when we put on a costume and/or mask, we have the opportunity to be someone different; someone more exciting perhaps.

Kids love to dress up and be a super hero or a fairy princess. Make believe is great for fun, and for encouraging their imaginations. Those children with a strong sense of drama will take their imaginary persona to great extremes. Others just play at it for a while and then move on to something different. Whatever your child wants to be and do as that imaginary person or the costume character is fine and right for that child.

Some kids, however, may use the mask or costume as permission to act in ways that they might not normally. They may feel that they can be rude or hurtful, or act as they see their super hero act. As parents, it is our job to encourage real, true feelings and behaviors; to remind them that what they see a character doing on TV may not always be what we want them doing, or saying. It is always fun to explore the "walking in their shoes" concept with kids; showing them what it's like for someone else, and how what they say and do affects others. Kids can learn empathy simply by role-playing and swapping shoes.

As we encourage our kids to be kind, caring, and respectful to everyone, they are gaining important social skills that will benefit them in many ways. They will have more friends, be better able to stand up to bullies, have more self-confidence, and be the kind of kids that others want to be around.