Fantasy or Reality? What Halloween Means for Little Ones

Fall is well underway.  We know this because there is a chill in the air, the trees are filled with bright and vibrant colored leaves that are falling all around us, and children everywhere are anticipating the candy haul that they are about to make in the next week or so. 

Halloween.  Not every family chooses to celebrate the holiday of costumes, candy, and spooky things, but there's no doubt that the images of this holiday are all around us.  It's impossible to miss the decorations on neighbors' houses, in the grocery stores, and on television.  So you may wonder, what does all of this mean for children?  It's worth thoughtful consideration for parents.

Think for a minute about all of the costumed trick or treaters that arrive at your door every year at this time.  Many of the costumes are happy, fun, or comical.  Certainly, they're cute!  Others can be very scary, though.  If your young child happens to see the scarier images, their fearful reaction may surprise you.  According to an article from parenting.com on imagination vs. reality,  once kids have the memory and experience to understand that things aren't always as they appear, usually by age 5, costume transformations aren't as frightening. This means if your child is younger than 5, they may look at that costumed friend and think they're not imaginary, but real.  This brings about real fear.

After the age of about 3 (give or take), children can also develop typical childhood fears.  Images around them can trigger fear which may lead to sleepless nights, fear of something under the bed or in the closet, and general anxiety.  What can we do as parents to help our children through this developmentally typical phase?  Here are some suggestions:

• Consider reducing the amount of time in front of television screens.  Images that aren't scary to adults may be very frightening for your child and increase the likelihood of fear and anxiety.
• Talk about and honor your child's fear, even if it seems irrational to you.  Encouraging your child to share how they feel and validating them by saying something like "I can tell that's scary for you" helps them know that their feelings matter and they're safe with you.
• Play dress-up!  If you and your child spend some time playing with hats, masks, and other items, it can help your child understand the difference between fantasy and reality sooner.  Let them watch you take a mask on and off and have fun with it.
• Empower your child to be bigger than their fears.  Consider giving them a spray bottle of water with a label on it like "Monster Spray" that they can spray around their room before bed. This simple idea can shift the power back in the child's hands. 
• Look for fun ways to celebrate with friends in a non-scary environment.  ECFE is hosting the Monster Mash on Saturday, October 29th, 2016 at Woodbury High School from 10 am to noon.  There will be family friendly music, activities, games, and bounce houses available to you and your children ages birth to five.  Tickets are available here.  We'd love to see you (in your non-scary costumes) there!

This is not meant to discourage you from celebrating Halloween.  It can be a fun and exciting time of year for families.  The key is to be aware of the sites and sounds around your little ones, step into their shoes to feel what they feel, and make your plans accordingly. 

One more program note:  because we try to remain sensitive to all families and their experiences, we do not celebrate Halloween in our regularly scheduled ECFE classes.  We ask that treats and costumes remain at home. 

All of us at ECFE wish you a safe and Happy Halloween!

The "DPC"...huh?!!



If you're new to ECFE in South Washington County and not familiar with our Cottage Grove location, you may hear parents or teachers in your classes talking about the "DPC".  Quietly you may be thinking to yourself... "What in the world is the DPC?"  "Where is this DPC?"  "Why do I keep hearing about the DPC???" But being new often causes us to keep our questions to ourselves as not to look like we may not know or understand what people are talking about. 

 

Well, your trusty blogger is here to help.  The letters DPC refer to the District Program Center.  It's the large building right next to Applebee's in Cottage Grove (just off of Highway 61 and Jamaica) that houses our ECFE programming.  It. Is. Awesome.  We wanted to take a minute to tell you about this fantastic facility, share the recent updates that took place, and give you a visual tour through pictures of what you will find there.  In doing so, we hope to inspire you to try a class in this great location!

 

If you aren't new to ECFE and just haven't been to the DPC in a while, you are in for some nice surprises!  During our summer break from classes, the old flooring in several of our classrooms was replaced with a fresh, new look.  Along with that came new circle time rugs, fresh paint in some areas, and lots of new learning materials and supplies.  A thorough inventory was taken of our teaching materials and old items were discarded or donated.  When our staff arrived back to work in August, we were met with a beautiful and inviting place to welcome families. 

 

What isn't new to the DPC is our awesome paraprofessionals and teachers.  You have always been able to find the same quality early childhood and parent education programming at all three of our sites in District 833.  That won't ever change.  We are ready, waiting, and excited to serve your family!

 

So head on down to 8400 E. Point Douglas Road in Cottage Grove and discover this early learning gem.  We still have some space in our classes and we'd love to meet you at the DPC!  Until then, take a look at the pictures below.  See you soon!

 

One of our beautiful classrooms



 

 

This is our large motor room...great fun for little ones.  Not pictured is the climbing wall that is loved by many!

 



 

 

 

Our outdoor playground.  This is used and enjoyed nearly year 'round. The flooring under the play structure is soft, safe, and comfortable.

 

 

 

Our entry way that welcomes you just beyond a new secured entrance.  A great place to find resources!

 

 

 

More playtime in the sandbox...

 

...and on the motorcycle! 

 

COME ON DOWN!!!