Beneath the Mask

My preschool/parenting guru (Chanie Perelmuter over at the Hebrew Academy) told us at last weeks Mommy & Me that 2 year olds are prime candidates for run-from-the-room-screaming Purim terror. All the masks and costumes can really scare their socks off! I can imagine that would be something difficult for a mom to contend with whilst trying to keep her toddler quiet through a lengthy Megilla reading... Her advice was to start teaching the "masked" concept now, at least a few weeks before. Have your kids decorate some form of disguise, or unearth some masks, costumes, wigs etc. from the family Purim box in the storage closet, and have your preschooler try them on in front of the mirror. Throw a mini masquerade and teach them a bit about dress-up for the next few weeks... That should ease the impending costume-phobia. The point is to teach them that a mask/costume is a covering, they should know there is a familiar face underneath. Just thought I'd share the wisdom!

(All the mask talk has got me thinking about this theme.)