Halloween is no excuse to let children act disrespectfully
Christopher Tremoglie
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Cue the spooky music, grab the bags of candy, and put on a frightening costume. Today is Halloween, the one day a year when children browbeat working-class people living paycheck to paycheck into giving them free candy as a reward for pretending to be someone or something they are not. But despite this relatively joyous yet spine-chilling holiday, there’s no excuse for children to misbehave or act disrespectfully. (That’s what Mischief Night is for.)
I bring up children because a concerning post has been circulated on social media urging people not to judge children tonight if they don’t say “thank you,” “trick or treat?” or take more candy than they are supposed to. It’s supposed to come across as a compassionate plea and understand how some children might be different and struggle. In reality, it’s indicative as to why so many young children in this generation are disrespectful and unable to process rejection emotionally and being told they are wrong.
The social media post reads:
THIS HALLOWEEN Please Keep In Mind: The child who is grabbing more than one piece of candy, might have poor fine motor skills. The child who does not say “Trick or Treat” or “Thank You” might be nonverbal. The child who looks disappointed when they see your bowl might have an allergy. The child who isn’t wearing a costume, might have Sensory Processing Disorder or Autism. The person who looks too old to be trick or treating might be developmentally delayed. Please be accepting, patient, and kind.
It’s a heartwarming post that raises some valid points. Obviously, some children trick or treating tonight are special needs. Clearly, none of them should be scolded or reprimanded for their behavior. However, some children are aggressive, selfish, and act rudely or inappropriately. They won’t say “trick or treat?” or “thank you,” not because they have some health condition but because they are ill-mannered. Such children don’t need the compassion described above but instead need to be called out on their bad behavior and some discipline. A failure to do so is a problem that has plagued this generation of children, and it will create intolerable monsters in society.
In their book, The Coddling of the American Mind, authors Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt discuss how this generation of parents has enabled children to “engage in dichotomous thinking; amplify their emotional responses, anxiety, and depression; and exaggerate the dangers they face.” It’s representative of the kind of concerns described in the “warning” in the social media post above. It’s led to a generation of children unable to process the emotions that come with disappointment, which leads to even more significant issues down the road.
But it’s OK to be an adult and tell children no. It’s OK to be a parent and have to disappoint one’s children. The notion that children have such fragile psyches that any declaration that runs counter to theirs will cause irreparable damage is foolish. Moreover, it resulted in a generation of selfish and entitled youth.
So tonight, if a child doesn’t say “thank you” or greet you with “trick or treat?” or tries to sneak some extra candy, don’t abide by the Instagram post. Don’t be afraid to tell the children no. Politely correct them and wish them a Happy Halloween. They’ll be OK, no matter how much parents like the ones who created the above Instagram posts freak out.