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Most people do not celebrate Halloween because some kids get scared and it can give them nightmares.

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Most people do not celebrate Halloween because some kids get scared and it can give them nightmares.

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Halloween is the holiday to celebrate all things goulish and scary, but at what expense? Some children are more affected by the holiday than others, causing many parents to wonder: Do kids have more nightmares after Halloween? Whether your family goes all-out-scare-fest for Oct 31, or you prefer to keep it low key, some kids will be more affected than others, so how is a parent to know what will cause their kid to have bad dreams at night and what won't? The line isn't an easy one to draw.

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Halloween is the holiday to celebrate all things goulish and scary, but at what expense? Some children are more affected by the holiday than others, causing many parents to wonder: Do kids have more nightmares after Halloween? Whether your family goes all-out-scare-fest for Oct 31, or you prefer to keep it low key, some kids will be more affected than others, so how is a parent to know what will cause their kid to have bad dreams at night and what won't? The line isn't an easy one to draw.

According to child psychiatrist Dr. Benjamin Chan in an interview with The Scope from the University of Utah's Health Sciences Radio, each child is affected differently by scary movies and other Halloween-time events. While some kids are prone to nightmares, others rarely experience them and love a good scare. "All children are afraid of the unknown," Chan noted, "be it afraid of going to a new store, a disruption in the routine, things like that." Seeing scary movies or things that are meant to frighten can, he remarked, multiply a child's fright significantly, resulting in the mental imagery definitely causing nightmares.

Kids Health notes that even though by about pre-school age, most kids are able to understand that nightmares can't really hurt them, it doesn't make them any less scary, especially during Halloween when everyone is infatuated with dressing up, altering reality, and haunting. But even if they can understand what is real and what's not, that doesn't keep them from being scared. If adults are freaked out by horror films, we can only imagine the trauma that a small child could possibly endure.

To complicate matters further, Common Sense Media pointed out that although some kids may be scared by spooky imagery in a scary movie (even one meant for kids), other kids' nightmares are brought on by fears of a different kind. Things like fearing the loss of a loved one, abrupt changes, trying new things, or even loud noises can bring on bad dreams and mild paranoia in children.

So what is a parent to do? Should you rule out all scary movies, haunted houses, and freaky decorations during the Halloween season in an effort to shield your child from potential bad dreams?

The aforementioned Kids Health article noted that avoiding scary movies, scary talks, or other Halloween-centric themes immediately before bed can lessen the likelihood of your child experiencing a nightmare. Similarly, sticking to your usual bedtime schedule and ensuring that their room is a scare-free, welcoming, and relaxing environment all year round will help them wind down and sleep soundly when the time comes.

In concurrence with what most moms already know, Pop Sugar pointed out that each scary movie, haunted house, and even scary story or decoration should be weighed on a case by case basis. Parents know their children better than anyone and although movies have age-ratings for a reason, most parents are able to decide what will and will not cause their kid to have a nightmare, even during the scariest season of the year.

If your child does have a nightmare this Halloween, Caroline Presno (mom of a 5 year old, and a former psychotherapist) shares a few simple, non-obvious ways that you can handle it without worsening the issue on Huff Post. For example, saying "it's only a dream" is usually a less empathetic response that you child may be needing. Instead, recognize how your child feels and comfort them accordingly.

Presno also notes that parents should encourage their kids to talk about their nightmares, not hold them inside, regardless of whether it happens during Halloween or not. "The same way you would treat a physical wound so that it heals," the piece suggested, "you need to address the psychological turmoil that nightmares cause by communicating with your child".

If you're worried about your child experiencing nightmares this Halloween, stick to fun-themed Halloween decorations, movies, events, and costumes and wait until they're older (if at all) to introduce the scarier aspects of the holiday.

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Do Kids Have More Nightmares After Halloween?

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Halloween is the holiday to celebrate all things goulish and scary, but at what expense? Some children are more affected by the holiday than others, causing many parents to wonder: Do kids have more nightmares after Halloween? Whether your family...

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Birthdays you can go to a party and its for one person to celebrate them and thats more respectful.

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Birthdays you can go to a party and its for one person to celebrate them and thats more respectful.

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Many kids are adaptable and will roll with whatever celebration you put on, as long as they get parental attention and some semblance of a normal routine (don't mess with naptime, Mom!). But you know your own child—adjust the level of hoopla to whatever you think he can handle.

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Experts say to invite the same number of kids as the child's age, but trust your judgment about how many little guests your kid can happily handle.

What Does Baby Want?

Everyone has a different tolerance for party planning, and when it comes to potential for stressful logistics, kids' parties rank second only to weddings. Still, some of us thrive on it: We love big affairs with lots of people. Others want only a handful of guests, thank you very much.

Many kids are adaptable and will roll with whatever celebration you put on, as long as they get parental attention and some semblance of a normal routine (don't mess with naptime, Mom!). But you know your own child-adjust the level of hoopla to whatever you think he can handle.

And we're not going to lie: Anything you do will require some work. Just sharing cake with your 1-year-old is a mess-but fun! And that's what it's all about, providing everyone -but mostly you and your child-with a good time. We've rounded up ideas to help you enjoy the day.

You're Invited!

Are young kids coming? Have your party take place either before 1 p.m. or after 3 p.m. to avoid naptime conflict.

For the sake of your sanity, give the party a start and end time. It's the first step in getting the "time to go!" hint across.

With the invitations themselves, add a homemade touch by tracing your baby's hand on the outside of a blank card. Or let your toddler "decorate" with stickers.

RELATED: Downloadable Invites

Look Who's Coming

Consider having separate parties for the grown-up crowd (grandparents and other relatives, plus adult friends) and the kiddie crowd (cousins, playgroup kids, or your child's preschool class). Each celebration needs different things: Grown-ups want adult food and at least a few hours to talk and catch up. But a party full of kids who are the same age should be nonstop games, kidcentric food, and most important, goodbyes after an hour and a half at most.

The exception: At baby's first birthday, mixed ages will likely come and go over a couple of hours, and no one expects fellow 1-year-olds to play organized games.

The Gifted Child

Do you wish your child could receive fewer toys? Suggest books or bookstore gift certificates.

Try not opening gifts until after everyone leaves if there are a lot of jealous 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old guests. If someone must see baby open his or her gift, do it in a room away from tantrum-prone youngsters.

Write down who gave you what (you can assign Grandma this job), then send short thank-you notes. A pain for a busy mom, we know, but so appreciated by the guests, who also had to go out of their way.

You can register for your child's gifts at Toys "R" Us. It's not very subtle but it's a way to prevent duplicates and inappropriate toys.

Cakes and Goodies

Cake Secret!

One of our editors road-tested this idea with great success. To make a boxed cake mix taste like you did it from scratch, eliminate the oil and 1/3 of the water, and add a cup of mayonnaise instead. For best results, whisk the mayonnaise with the eggs and add them into the dry ingredients together. If you top the cake with homemade buttercream icing (milk, unsalted butter, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar-many boxes of the sugar have the recipe), it tastes divine!

The Cake Can Be a Game

Make a tray of mini cupcakes, regular cupcakes, or muffins. Frost cupcakes with icing or muffins with cream cheese. Put out bowls of sprinkles, colored sugar, and mini chocolate chips and let the kids dip in to make their own creations.

Goody Bags

Kids love goody bags and they really don't care what's in them-they just want to get something! Don't make yourself crazy (or go broke) looking for kites or T-shirts or other big-ticket items. Just buy a box of sidewalk chalk, and for each bag, tie sticks together with a bright ribbon. Throw in a bottle of bubbles. Done! We put them in cute pails, but decorated paper bags do just as well.

For 4-year-olds, you may not get away with a bag that doesn't include candy. But for younger kids, if you want to include food, try adding bags of Teddy Grahams or Goldfish crackers. Don't forget to make a goody bag for the birthday child, too!

Prepping the Birthday Child

Being the star of the party is hard. A 1- or 2-year-old is overwhelmed by the event even if you discuss it beforehand. A 3- or 4-year-old is tightly wound with anticipation. Either way, talk to your child the evening before the party about what's going to happen: Other kids will see his room, play with his toys, etc. Hide special toys that your child can't bear to share. And remind him there's a reward when the whole thing's over: presents!

Let the Games Begin

By your child's second birthday party, you're going to need organized activities. You may even need them for his first birthday if the guests include, for instance, a bunch of preschool-age cousins. Some suggestions:

Have an activity to do immediately to warm up the kids. Try coloring birthday hats or putting stickers on a "Happy Birthday" sign.

Decorate the children. For instance, with face painting, washable tattoos, or hand-stamps. Not all toddlers like this, but some love it. Ideally you know a friend or teenager who's good at it-she can set up in a corner and let kids come to her.

Go on a scavenger hunt. Kids can search for cheap little favors (pinwheels, balls) or something seasonal (mini pumpkins). In the winter, each child could get a mitten and look for the matching one.

Music always works. Some parents shell out $100 to $200 for a local kids' performer to come over and do a rousing circle time. For less expensive fun, try: 1. Noncompetitive musical chairs. Set several children's chairs in a row with enough toy instruments on them so that each kid can have one. Put in a CD and play music as each child marches around the chairs, playing the instruments. When you stop the music, each child puts his or her instrument down and picks up a different one. Start the music and marching again. Stop, switch. 2. Freeze dancing. Play music and have the kids dance. When the music stops, the kids have to freeze. No one has to be "out." Just play until the kids get bored. 3. Musical hot potato. The kids sit in a circle and pass a stuffed toy around while the music plays. When the music stops, the child left holding the toy is "out" (but gets to go somewhere fun). The last one holding the toy wins.

Everyone gets something! If you're compelled to award prizes, be sure every kid goes away with a sticker or ribbon just for participating.

All content here, including advice from doctors and other health professionals, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.

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How to Throw the Perfect Kids' Birthday Party

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Experts say to invite the same number of kids as the child's age, but trust your judgment about how many little guests your kid can happily handle. Everyone has a different tolerance for party planning, and when it comes to potential for stressful logistics, kids' parties rank second only to weddings.

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Halloween you can't do everything that you can do during a birthday like go to a party a birthday party.

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Halloween you can't do everything that you can do during a birthday like go to a party a birthday party.

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Throw your child the perfect theme party and let us take care of all the details. A theme birthday party at the Academy includes a private party room, a birthday party host to guide you on a tour of our hands-on exhibits, and experiences the party guests will talk about all year long.

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With a T. rex that has celebrated millions of birthdays, the Academy really knows how to throw a party! Celebrate your child's special day in a one-of-a-kind way! We offer theme parties for kids who love dinosaurs, butterflies, bugs, and animals. Basic parties and add-on encounters with fossils, live animals, or bugs are available.

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Some people cant afford Halloween decorations and put up Christmas right away.

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Some people cant afford Halloween decorations and put up Christmas right away.

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If you’ve been trying and failing to persuade your family or flatmates that no, it is not too early to deck the halls with boughs of holly for another year then glad tidings are here: people who put their Christmas decorations up early are happier than those who wait, according to psychology experts.

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People who put up Christmas decorations early are happier, experts reveal

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If you've been trying and failing to persuade your family or flatmates that no, it is not too early to deck the halls with boughs of holly for another year then glad tidings are here: people who put their Christmas decorations up early are happier than those who wait, according to psychology experts.

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Some people think houses are to scary at Halloween.

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Some people think houses are to scary at Halloween.

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Be sure that it’s scariness you’re talking about and not taste. If your neighbors decorate with half-buried zombies and you dot-glitter pumpkins around the yard, this is an agree-to-disagree issue.

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Be sure that it's scariness you're talking about and not taste. If your neighbors decorate with half-buried zombies and you dot-glitter pumpkins around the yard, this is an agree-to-disagree issue.

But if the giant rats and half-chewed limbs are seriously frightening your children, this is something you can talk about.

Face to face, ask if there's any way they can tone it down for your little ones. Ask if the kids can visit in the daytime to see up close how fake everything is. Or suggest the scariest pieces be staged later in the month.

There are two things to remember. First, the most creepy Halloween displays are often created by people who work really hard, sometimes for months, putting together that eerie lighting and those red-eyed gremlins. It may not be your cup of tea, but think of those yards as having as much passion poured into them as happy holiday tableau.

Second, remember that Halloween is the one night we can wrap our arms around what frightens us, control it and, most of all, have fun with it.
- Lesley Bannatyne, author of "Halloween Nation: Behind the Scenes of America's Fright Night"
There is such a thing as too scary: It's gore. Seeing a prop hanging from trees is going too far with little kids trick-or-treating. The blood is what freaks kids out. Inflatable props are better, as are the basics like skeletons, witches and ghosts.

I would recommend never doing anything gory out front, at least not early. Kids have nightmares from that.

If you put out a corpse, put it out later for the older kids, after 9 o'clock; little kids are done trick-or-treating by 6 o'clock. Bury or cover gory stuff, and then uncover for the older crowds.

Your neighbors can still have it both ways, but they have to use judgment. You don't want to scare little kids - that's not the point of Halloween.
- Joe Persampiere, president of hauntedprops.com Social Graces is a weekly series asking two experts for advice on awkward situations. chrjohnson@tronc.com Twitter @christenadot_ 20 unique Halloween decorations " 15 Spooky things to do with the kids " Halloween makeup inspirations "

Fall is here, and the cooler temps are pushing the parties indoors. If you're worried that your next shindig won't live up to summer's rooftop fun, these over-the-top rentals, from animals to live painting, are sure to keep your guests talking way after the bash ends.

Mural mural on the wall, who is the fairest city of them all? Chicago is a world-renowned art locale, but if you think our talent is limited to museum walls, think again. We've rounded some of the best, brightest and most brilliant murals around town. Locations are included, but due to the nature of the beast, we can't guarantee all are still in existence.

Have a mural you want to show off? Send your photo to rstevenson@chicagotribune.com, and we'll add it to the gallery.

(Christen A. Johnson)

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What to say if neighbors' Halloween decorations are too scary

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Be sure that it's scariness you're talking about and not taste. If your neighbors decorate with half-buried zombies and you dot-glitter pumpkins around the yard, this is an agree-to-disagree issue. But if the giant rats and half-chewed limbs are seriously frightening your children, this is something you can talk about.

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Halloween is not always an important day for some people because some don't celebrate Halloween.

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Halloween is not always an important day for some people because some don't celebrate Halloween.

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https://www.factretriever.com/halloween-facts

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When having a birthday kids feel happy because you get presents and candy instead of just candy.

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When having a birthday kids feel happy because you get presents and candy instead of just candy.

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Throw your child the perfect theme party and let us take care of all the details. A theme birthday party at the Academy includes a private party room, a birthday party host to guide you on a tour of our hands-on exhibits, and experiences the party guests will talk about all year long.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
With a T. rex that has celebrated millions of birthdays, the Academy really knows how to throw a party! Celebrate your child's special day in a one-of-a-kind way! We offer theme parties for kids who love dinosaurs, butterflies, bugs, and animals. Basic parties and add-on encounters with fossils, live animals, or bugs are available.

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A birthday is where your parents can celebrate to. Your parents help you with everything for you.

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A birthday is where your parents can celebrate to. Your parents help you with everything for you.

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1. I hope you have a wonderful day and that the year ahead is filled with much love, many wonderful surprises and gives you lasting memories that you will cherish in all the days ahead. Happy Birthday.

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A birthday is very important for you and your family members to celebrate because this is  when you were born blank years ago

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A birthday is very important for you and your family members to celebrate because this is  when you were born blank years ago

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1. Celebrate your birthday today. Celebrate being Happy every day.

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Birthdays are to celebrate you or someone else getting one year older.

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Birthdays are to celebrate you or someone else getting one year older.

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It's that time of year again, the time when everyone is celebrating…you! It's your birthday, and it's time to celebrate. Some adults don't like to celebrate their birthdays because they do not like getting older, despite all of the presents and treats. But most kids love celebrating their special day with friends and family.

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Preteens Coming of Age & Birthday Celebrations | Info from PAMF

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It's that time of year again, the time when everyone is celebrating...you! It's your birthday, and it's time to celebrate.