3 Simple Tips for Body-Positive Parenting this Halloween

Halloween is full of sweets, costumes, and celebration, but it can also be a great opportunity to help children build a healthy body image. By encouraging positive perspectives on food, comfort-focused choices, and inclusive costumes, we can make Halloween an enjoyable, body-positive experience for all children. Here’s how:

1. Be Food Positive

Halloween treats are part of the fun, so teach kids that “all foods fit” (and use this downloadable colouring sheet to help reinforce the message!). This means avoiding the demonisation of sugar and not labeling sweets as "bad" foods. Instead, focus on developing a healthy relationship with food.

Allowing kids access to sweets teaches them to self-regulate, which is a skill that helps them enjoy different types of food and eat in a way that feels comfortable in their body. Research supports that overly restrictive food practices can lead to increased cravings and even disordered eating behaviours later in life (Birch et al., 2003; Fisher & Birch, 1999). Using neutral language when talking about food—rather than saying something is "good" or "bad"—avoids moral judgment and helps children see all foods as a natural, enjoyable part of life (Schwartz & Puhl, 2003).

Key Takeaway: Teaching kids that “all foods fit” and removing moral judgments from food discussions builds their ability to self-regulate and see food as a natural, enjoyable part of life.

2. Comfort Is Key

Encourage kids to pick Halloween costumes that are as comfortable as they are fun. Whether it’s an itchy wig or a too-tight superhero suit, uncomfortable clothing can make kids focus more on how their body looks instead of simply enjoying the moment and not even thinking about their body.

Photo by Yaroslav Shuraev

Research shows that uncomfortable or restrictive clothing can impact children’s focus on their appearance and contribute to negative body image (Puhl & Suh, 2015). Choosing costumes that feel good on their bodies promotes a positive body image by keeping the focus on the fun. This can also be an excellent opportunity to reinforce the importance of listening to their body’s cues and advocating for their own comfort in any situation.

Key Takeaway: Prioritising comfort helps kids enjoy the moment and feel confident in their bodies, reinforcing a positive self-image.

3. Avoid Costumes That Other

Halloween costumes should be a source of fun, not a way to reinforce stereotypes or harmful messages. Many kids’ movies or shows still use physical differences or certain body types to portray “bad” characters, which can create harmful associations.

Studies suggest that children are highly sensitive to stereotypes and can begin associating body types with personality traits from an early age (Harriger & Thompson, 2012). By steering clear of costumes that could encourage “othering,” we teach kids to see people’s differences as something to celebrate rather than judge. Inclusivity means choosing costumes that don’t reinforce stereotypes about body shape, appearance, or disability, helping kids recognise the importance of treating everyone with respect and dignity.

Key Takeaway: Costume choices can be an easy, practical way to reinforce empathy and inclusivity, values that build a more accepting world for everyone.

Bringing It All Together

Halloween is an exciting time for children, but it’s also an opportunity to shape how they think about food, their bodies, and others around them. By creating a food-positive environment, prioritising comfort, and choosing inclusive costumes, we help children celebrate Halloween in a way that promotes self-confidence, kindness, and healthy body image—values they’ll carry with them long after the sweets are gone.

References:

  • Birch, L. L., Fisher, J. O., & Davison, K. K. (2003). "Learning to overeat: Maternal use of restrictive feeding practices promotes girls' eating in the absence of hunger." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 78(2), 215-220.

  • Fisher, J. O., & Birch, L. L. (1999). "Restricting access to foods and children’s eating." Appetite, 32(3), 405-419.

  • Schwartz, M. B., & Puhl, R. (2003). "Childhood obsity: A societal problem to solve." Ob*sity Reviews, 4(1), 57-71.

  • Puhl, R. M., & Suh, Y. (2015). "Health consequences of weight stigma" Current Ob*sity Reports, 4(2), 182-190.

  • Harriger, J. A., & Thompson, J. K. (2012). "Psychological consequences of ob*sity stigmatization: Developmental considerations." Journal of Ob*sity, 2012.

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