Moms Talk: Halloween Gore—What's Too Much?

QUESTION: With Halloween just around the corner, my kids (ages 8, 10 and 13) are begging to indulge in all the gory movies and costumes this year. They say I'm being "weird" for not wanting them to do this; am I overreacting? Should I just let them have fun?

ANSWER: I still remember the first "scary" movie I watched as a child: "Watcher in the Woods." It was a supposedly harmless Disney flick, but I had nightmares for weeks. When I watched it as an adult last year, it was every bit as scary as I remembered! Some kids are more impressionable than others, and perhaps I was one of those. But nevertheless, you have a right to be discerning when it comes to the gore your kids view. Teens are drawn to this stuff (think of the "Scream" phenomenon) but the images can stick in their minds for days, weeks, or even years. What's appropriate for a teen might not be appropriate for a younger child; you know your kids best, and you'll know what to do. If they give you a bad time, you can always resort to the decades-old sheet over the head "ghost" costume and call it a night.