|
What age to let a kid go to Halloween nights at a theme park?
I will admit getting judgey on the parents I hear dragging little terrified kids around the Halloween horrors at Busch Gardens or Universal when signs all around clearly say this is not for little kids. Just this week Busch Gardens and Universal revealed their Halloween themes for this year: Zombies vs. Morphing Aliens. That's just some of the heart-stopping, scream-inducing frights planned for the annual Halloween extravaganzas at Busch Gardens (zombies) and Universal Studios in Orlando (aliens) this year.
This is what being Ms. Judgey gets you: I now have an 8-year-old begging to go this year. In truth, he's not a kid who gets scared by much. He's on book 5 of the Harry Potter series and the dark themes don't faze him. But from what I understand, these horror nights get pretty extreme.
Is it possible to nibble at the edges of the scariest stuff? Or should we stick with Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party?
Now that I've been put in my place and have to do a little more investigating, I find that there are various attractions that meant for all ages. Last year Busch Gardens put in place this rating system:
One Pumpkin = Good fun for everyone
Two Pumpkins = A little spooky, but still fun
Three Pumpkins = Fun but more frightful
Four Pumpkins = Scary, be careful
Five Pumpkins = Older teens, parental supervision advised
What do you say readers and Halloween fans? Any advice?
--Sharon Kennedy Wynne
Follow us on Twitter @WhoaMomma
Most Recent Blog Posts
About the bloggers
Raising children isn't easy. Whoa, Momma! is here to help you with parenting tips and discussion of all parenting issues. We think there's no such thing as TMI, so our blogging moms aren't shy about the hot topics and won't back away from a good debate. Bottle or breastfeed? Public, private or homeschool? And sex -- it's all open for comment. Don't sit on the sidelines -- pull up a bouncy seat and join the chat.
Email us ideas you'd like us to write about.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Video
Most Popular Categories
THE AUTHORS
Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.
E-mail Sharon Kennedy Wynne:
|
E-mail Kate Brassfield:
|
|
|
Comment Policy
| Please be sure your comments are appropriate before submitting them. Inappropriate comments include content that: |
| Is libelous |
| Is abusive, harassing, or threatening |
| Is obscene, vulgar, or profane |
| Is racially, ethnically or religiously offensive |
| Is illegal or encourages criminal acts |
| Is known to be inaccurate or contains a false attribution |
| Infringes copyrights, trademarks, publicity or any other rights of others |
| Impersonates anyone (actual or fictitious) |
| Solicits funds, goods or services, or advertises |
| The Tampa Bay Times does not edit posts but reserves the right to delete comments that violate our policy. |
Registration FAQ
| Read our Frequently Asked Questions on how to register to comment on the site. |

Loading...
Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at