Thread: Here's Johnny!!!!

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OK, I am not Johnny, just Frightmaster. I am trying to figure out how to do a halloween, as I love to do, with my 2 year old twins. Last year I had to do. My youngest daughter was very scared when I tried bringing out props....So I agreed to be LAME (GOOD DADDY). Now I have 2 years of PENT UP HALLOWEEN and it is killing me (could be a good thing). ANy ideas how to best "break here into it"? my oldest daughter, now 14, just loved it. BTW, Spiderlla and LITTLE BOO want this too. If no one can help, I will have to listen to the voices again....Again, a good thing....

Each October I would buy a good, nice scary mask, walk in the house with it in a bag. I would get the eye contact from my youngest, making sure they were watching as I pulled the mask from it's bag. Let him look at it, then make sure he's still watching as I pull it on.
I just stand there looking at him with the mask on. Nothing happens.
Then I raise my hands and growl lifting my hands, monster-like of course.
"WHAAAA!" Comes the cry from my little one.
I pull off the mask, lay it on the floor, leave the room.
It is now quiet in the room, I wait.
I walk back and here my infant, just barely walking little son is now punching the mask.
Then he pulls it toward him, pulls it over his own head, stands up, growls and walks around the room still growling.
None of my kids were ever afraid of masks or much else as far as I know.
My Step-son used to get complaints from his co-workers because they couldn't scare him!
"You should have grown up in my Dad's house." Is his only explaination for them.
Maybe there was madness to my methods?

let them help put out the decorations. let them dress up in costumes. begin with not so scary and graduate up as they become comfortable. let them watch the wizard of oz. my 3 year old and 1 year old love that show.

I don't know if you keep anything out all year round, probably not since it scares your little ones, so maybe you could bring out a few small, not-so-frightening pieces right now and have them around so they can adjust slowly?

I guess I just kind of threw my kids into it and they weren't scared of anything. They seem to love Halloween just as much, even though they're only 5 and 1. My littlest loves to see the skeleton hanging under the stairs and likes to make growling noises at it.

My daughter is now 5. When she was two I bought my avatar prop. I explained to her and her friends that he was our friend and he was hanging in our garage to keep us safe from mean people. I told her that he liked to see costumes so he and his friends would come out at Halloween to see everyone dressed up. She then named him/her Ariel after her favorite Disney Princess. Unfortunately her friends don't get frightened over our "friendly" props anymore. (They are all named after Disney princesses now) when they come out to see the costumes. Good thing we have parents to scare.

Kudos, Johnny, for taking it easy on the little ones. Being scared is one thing; being truly frightened, as a tiny tot, isn't in the least bit funny. Break it to them gently.

Here's a link to something you might like:
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Let them help out.My nephew is 3 now but last year I would take him out to where I keep the props and let him look and touch them.anytime I get a new prop he gets scared till he gets used to it then he wants to play with them.

I eased my boy into it. Basically started him off watcing Nightmare Before Xmas. He also was used to home movies, or liked just hamming it up with the camera connected live to the tv. Then the occasional mild horror flick explaining that what he was seeing was just like what he does on the tv camera and they are pretending. Blood I explained was only ketchup for pretend blood (we played with that too).

Then over the years he's seen me build props, and see's what goes into them. I also showed him candid pics on the web of practicle efx, and he could see that out of context what was scary in the movies was really goofy looking in the daylight.

Now that he's 16 he don't even blink at such things. LOL

so what have you come up with for ideas? i know each kid is different. my grandson loved halloween from day one. my 3 year old grandaughter is a little queasy around it. my 1 year old grandaughter is loving it so far. i love that you are willing to take it to heart

Originally Posted by Gym Whourlfeld

Each October I would buy a good, nice scary mask, walk in the house with it in a bag. I would get the eye contact from my youngest, making sure they were watching as I pulled the mask from it's bag. Let him look at it, then make sure he's still watching as I pull it on.
I just stand there looking at him with the mask on. Nothing happens.
Then I raise my hands and growl lifting my hands, monster-like of course.
"WHAAAA!" Comes the cry from my little one.
I pull off the mask, lay it on the floor, leave the room.
It is now quiet in the room, I wait.
I walk back and here my infant, just barely walking little son is now punching the mask.
Then he pulls it toward him, pulls it over his own head, stands up, growls and walks around the room still growling.
None of my kids were ever afraid of masks or much else as far as I know.
My Step-son used to get complaints from his co-workers because they couldn't scare him!
"You should have grown up in my Dad's house." Is his only explaination for them.
Maybe there was madness to my methods?

Great!