If you do Halloween costumes...

[Pepe]

...do you limit your DC's options for what to be? If so, why?--because of how to make the costume, not appreciating licensed characters as a choice, thinking something is too scary/violent, etc.? How do you explain yourself?

I'm not to keen on some of 4yo DS's ideas for costumes and I'm looking for ideas regarding how to balance my opinion with his need to be creative about this.

Thanks for any input!

[EviesMom]

We have a conversation about it, and talk about how we could make some of them. We also don't look at web sites or go through costume sections until we've decided on something. Every year, DD sees a made costume that she says she wants for the next year (usually character she likes at the time) but forgets it by next year when she's not into that character. I don't make costumes from scratch, but I usually use a sweatsuit and add embellishments and hats from there. She hates violent stuff, so that's never been a concern. Generally I work from the perspective of how we can make something and have it be reasonable cost and effort. She doesn't have adult standards though, and I think that's fine if she's happy with the costume.

She's been baby Elvis (for a costume wedding, DH and I went as "Mr. and Mrs. Presley" in just generic clothes for the period), a parrot (as "bird" was one of her favorite animals and words. Those she didn't really choose, she was too young. She's also been "Lucky" from the "101 Dalmations book," and she studied the book pictures to get the right collar color, if he had black or white ears, and on which side, etc. She likes us to be a theme, so that year I was informed that I had to be Anita Darling.

She was a dolphin, which was fun to make (I was a "dolphin trainer" and fed her goldfish crackers for doing tricks). And she was a butterfly last year. DS was nothing his first year, as he was a few weeks old. Then he was a caterpillar last year (I was a butterfly too, and DH was a "Butterfly scientist" with a net and paper butterflies per DDs idea).

This year DD is going to be the tooth fairy (wearing her fairy costume, along with a headband we're making out of quarters, a bracelet from a melted toothbrush, a wand with a dowel, poster board tooth, and glitter, and plastic teeth on a necklace). I'll be a tooth with a sandwich board style tooth made from poster board.

DS is a parrot (reusing from DDs costume at age 2- shirt with felt wings sewn on, hat with beak and button eyes sewn on, felt skirt with velcro worn over pants). DH is a pirate with hat and eye patch.

[daytripper75]

I make the costumes so I get a lot of leeway there. I usually just ask them what they want to be and so far they haven't picked anything that I don't approve of.
If it was something I didn't want them to be I would simply tell them that. Mommy doesn't like that choice, let's think of something else.

[Alyantavid]

Not really. If it isn't appropriate for them, I just tell them it isn't appropriate and why.

[elmh23]

We don't allow scary or violent themes, mostly because they go to a Catholic school that has a Harvestfest where the kids wear their costumes to and scary and violent themes aren't allowed. And there is no way I'm buying two costumes! Also, we're around a LOT of littler kids and it's just not appropriate!

[Teensy]

I let my DC decide what costume they want. Yes, they have worn some costumes that I wouldn't have picked (Power Rangers, etc.), but it is a night where they get to dress up as whatever they wish. I guess there is a line that I would not let them cross, but so far we haven't reached it. Obviously, if the costume can't be bought - it does have to be within my meager sewing and hot glue skills, but so far I've managed a spider, a lion, and the sun. Bought a couple ugly plastic costumes too.

[lisalulu]

I don't like the licensed character costumes so I ask ds what he wants to be. Then I either go buy it, find a pattern for it, or figure out some way to make it. I've found (so far anyway!) that if it isn't suggested, a character doesn't enter his mind. Now if I took him shopping with me, he'd be harassing me to be Lightining McQueen or Spiderman.

I think if he were older (he's 4.5), I would defintely try to explain to him why I don't want him to be one but I also see him being at an age where I would allow him to decide.

[karemore]

DD is 4 1/2. For now she gets to be whatever she can dress up as from the items in her dress up trunk.

Two years ago she was Strawberry Shortcake. We had a SS hat from her Bday party, SS glasses leftover from the party and my mom made her a green felt leafy thing to wear around her neck, she dressed all in pink and red and was good to go.

Last year she was a princess fairy, and this year she says she's going as cinderella.

When she gets older and doesn't have a bunch of dress up things we'll discuss making vs buying costumes but for now this works.

[LynnS6]

No, I don't. It does have to be something I can make or get reasonably on Ebay (I don't sew, so that limits the 'make' options ).

My kids don't like scary stuff, so they'd never choose scary stuff. But if they wanted it, I'd be OK with it. It's their costume, their decision.

[Grace and Granola]

I have a 4yo ds and I think if he suggested something that I really didn't like or I absolutely could not come up with the costume (I'm not too crafty!), then I think that I could persuade him to choose something different. I would get some great book or even a movie that I know he likes or would like and see if he might change his mind to be that character. Or even a new pretend game that would make him be a respectable player that he could really get into. Right now, both my kids have been really into pretending to be a dog and a lion, so that's what they want to be for Halloween. If they were pretending to be something I couldn't come up with I might suggest they switch things up and see what they would come up with. I don't like the idea of manipulating them like this, but it's just a costume. And I definitely would not force him to be something that he did not want to be.

[Hoopin' Mama]

This year ds is set on being Superman. I had it all figured out what to buy to make the costume, and ended up buying a polyester nightmare from Party City for 10 bucks. The thing is, he'll love love love love the costume. More so than the blue longjohn, red briefs, yellow felt belt, and red socks that I would have put together.

However, I have learned my lesson. Next year I will take him to the fabric store, open the pattern book, and ask him to choose a costume.

[Beppie]

I have girls so maybe it's a little different, but I would never allow anything scary/violent, as others have said. I would also not allow her to be a princess...because all the royalty-worship in this culture disgusts me! But otherwise she can be whatever she wants. She wants to be a green dinosaur this year. Last year she was a bunny. A fairy would be a cute idea, too.

[busymama77]

Originally Posted by Alyantavid

Not really. If it isn't appropriate for them, I just tell them it isn't appropriate and why.

Same here. DS chose to be Hulk this year. I don't think it's in appropriate. He loves all of those superhero characters - whether they be good or bad guys - and he has fun with it.

[newbymom05]

My 4.5 y/o loves dress up and DH and I have final veto. DS loves gory gross ones, I say no, too scary/inappropriate. We have some superhero licensed characters and I don't have a problem with it as long as they're well made. That's actually my most-used reason to veto--poor quality. He uses his dress up stuff regularly, so it has to be made to last. That's a reason DS1 understands, since we've had our share of junk toys that fell apart.

I don't see anything wrong with limiting a small child's selection, and I've found that he'll get around it anyway. For example, I refuse to buy anything vampire or blood/gore related, so DS found a red pen and drew on his face and body. So IME, limiting their choices actually makes them more creative, lol.

[rhianna813]

The only limit I like to make is the deadline to not pick a different costume. This is because we tend to make them and I don't want to switch gears or buy different supplies. Last year was the first year DS (almost 5 at the time) was really active about what he wanted to be and kept changing his mind.

Past costumes:
1: Leopard - home made
2: Knight - home made
3: Pirate - home made
4: Robot - totally awesome home made by DH
5: Storm Trooper - store bought

6 - this year: Mummy - will be home made, still thinking what will look the coolest yet not fall apart and survive multiple events.

[emaye_to_2]

My children are 3yo and 6yo. We do go trick-or-treating. They have dress-up costumes and each chose one to wear on Halloween. This year is Power Ranger and Tinkerbell.