Expert: Kids’ costumes should be age-appropriate

PHOENIX — An Arizona psychologist said dressing up a child like a sexpot for Halloween is a terrible idea.

Child psychologist and author Dr. Kevin Leman from Tucson said many parents aren’t bothered that their son or daughter is inappropriately dressed for Halloween.

In many cases, children mimic the parents’ attire and it’s not necessarily clothes parents bust out at Halloween.

Leman said skimpy, over-the-top costumes are not appropriate.

“It is a smart parent that treats kids as kids,” he said. “To not put them on a conveyor belt that thrusts them into adulthood way too quickly.”

In many cases Leman said parents take their marching orders from the kids when it should be the other way around.

“We make our country and family stronger if we have firm limits that treat kids as kids and adults as adults,” he said. “The whole idea is to train up kids so they will be responsible adults.”