• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

How to Deal with Slutty Tween Halloween Costumes

October 26, 2010 by DrAndreaBonior Leave a Comment

Let’s face it- Halloween has come a long way from the days when a sheet with eye-holes counted as a legitimate costume. The more that the holiday has become an adult celebration– what bar now doesn’t host a costume contest?– the more that the edgy, “grown-up” aspects of it trickle down to the tween and tot set.

Girls that are barely out of kindergarten are sporting fishnet stockings and red velvet devil horns, while boys who just graduated from Thomas the Train are going for gore, gore, and more gore. The popularity of provocative children’s costumes is at an all-time high, and as long as money’s being made, it will keep getting worse. How’s a Mom to deal?

Do a Reality Check

You’re the parent here, and it’s both your right and your responsibility to draw the line where you see fit. It’s easy to get blindsided by hectic schedules and wanting to be the “fun” Mom, and then before you know it you’re putting something totally inappropriate in your shopping cart as you dash out to fight the crowds a few nights before Halloween. Take a step back– and think twice.

Talk to Your Child

So your daughter’s begging for a costume that would make her grandmother blush, or your son is gung-ho to masquerade as a mass murderer. Ask them what the appeal is, and get them to talk about it. It may be that they’re trying to emulate something problematic– in which case that discussion can be the start of working to nip it in the bud. Or, it could be they simply like the color or some other superficial aspect of the costume, in which case you can rush to find an appropriate substitute.

Get Back to Basics

So much of the pressure that leads to hasty decisions might stem from your own heightened expectations. The simple joys of dressing up as virtually anything and staying up a bit late– not to mention gorging on an inordinate amount of candy– are enough to make any child giddy; it doesn’t have to be a huge production. Let kids be kids, and rest assured that even if their costume is simple and run-of-the-mill, it can still be a magical night.

Draw the Line

An edgy costume might not seem like a big deal, and you might not feel like dealing with a tantrum. But research shows that the increasing sexualization of young girls can have very detrimental effects on their emotional well-being and feelings of self-worth later on. And increasingly realistic simulations of violence have been linked with aggression in boys, as well. Draw the line, be firm, and then focus on fun. Someday, your kid will be happy you did. (After all, they still got their candy.)

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Halloween, Parenting

About DrAndreaBonior

Andrea (Gaynor) Bonior is a licensed clinical psychologist, professor, and writer. For more than five years, Dr. Bonior has written the twice-weekly mental health column Baggage Check for the Washington Posts Express newspaper, known for its wit and frequent pop culture references. Shes frequently cited in other media, with her expertise most recently appearing on CNN.com, MSNBC.com, Yahoo!, and Voice of America, and she makes regular appearances on Washington, DCs Lets Talk Live. Her first book, The Friendship Fix: The Complete Guide to Choosing, Losing, and Keeping Up With Your Friends (Thomas Dunne/St. Martins), is due out this Winter. In addition to serving on the adjunct faculty of Georgetown University, she maintains a private clinical psychology practice.

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

20 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Had Kids

After seeing and holding the newest member of our family … [Read More...] about 20 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Had Kids

Must Have

ToniBox

Meet Toniebox – A Loveable Storytime Friend For Your Kids

If you are looking for something to occupy your children … [Read More...] about Meet Toniebox – A Loveable Storytime Friend For Your Kids

Did you know?

tricks to get pen stains out of light clothes

Tricks to Get Pen Stains Out of Light Clothes

Bake Frozen and Pre-Breaded Chicken

How to Bake Frozen and Pre-Breaded Chicken

average breast size of a woman

The Average Breast Size of a Woman

Signs You're Having a Miscarriage

Signs You’re Having a Miscarriage

Signs of PMS or Pregnancy

Can I Use Baking Powder to Thicken Sauce

Can I Use Baking Powder to Thicken Sauce?

Negative Effects of Single Parent Homes

The Negative Effects of Single Parent Homes on Children

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2021 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.