Nancy Stoops M.A., M.F.T Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

By Nancy Stoops, M.A., M.F.T.

Halloween is still my favorite holiday. As a child, I always thought it was so great to create a costume. In our house it was a major event. Very rarely did we buy costumes because it was much more fun to throw them together and create a new look.

You may be asking yourself why a therapist would be writing a column about Halloween.  I think our youth is really lacking in imagination and I think Halloween is a great time to help mold that in your child. Halloween is great time to help your child think about who they might want to be someday as well.

I know there are many safety concerns regarding Halloween and as a parent I understand that.  I also understand that our community provides lots of safe ways to celebrate the holiday.

The main thing is to help provide your child with a creative and safe Halloween.  My son is older now but we still both love Halloween so very much.  We have so many great memories around all the costumes, themes for decorating, pumpkin carving, parties, and all that makes this holiday so special. Our Halloween’s together are some of our best memories.

So spend some time with your child this year helping them develop the perfect costume.  Go out together, find the right pumpkin and carve it up together. Spend some time creating special Halloween traditions for you and your family.

Most of all let them use their imaginations and turn into somebody or something else for a day. Learn to have fun with your children during this wonderful holiday.

I think Halloween can create some great bonding time between you and your children.  It’s also a great time to let your hair down and just have some fun.

Nancy is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Nancy has a private practice in Diamond Bar. She runs free family support groups, a group on loss for seniors, and teen groups.  For more information about any of these services feel free to contact her at (909) 229-0727 or email, nancyjstoops@verizon.net. You may purchase Nancy’s   books, “Live, Heal and Grow,” and “Midnight the Therapy Dog” at Amazon.com.