Halloween is just around the corner, bringing all the spooky season vibes—pumpkins, candy, costumes, and, of course, decorations! There are tons of ways to transform your home into a Halloween haven, from friendly ghost decorations to eerie skeletons and even animatronic horror figures like Jason. But for one mom on TikTok, known as @lindswitt, some Halloween decor might be crossing the line…
In a video, she says, “Can someone explain why people decorate their homes with extreme horror themes for Halloween? We’re talking seriously scary stuff when there are young kids in the neighborhood who see this every day in October,” she says. “In our neighborhood, there’s one house with its entire garage plastered with a huge picture of the clown from It… and that’s just one decoration! Now I get to explain to my young kids what they’re seeing, in a way that isn’t terrifying.”
She goes on to acknowledge people’s right to decorate as they wish but questions the need for such intense displays in neighborhoods full of kids. “It’s not even October yet, and I’m already exhausted from saying, ‘Oh, it’s just a friendly clown, he just smiles that way.’”
Alright.
As someone who could easily spend a fortune on life-sized skeletons for the front yard each Halloween (if not for her husband’s sensible voice of reason), I feel personally attacked by this question. Ma’am, no one’s expecting you to dive into the plot of It for your kids. Just say, “It’s a Halloween clown,” and keep moving. They’ll be just fine.
Also, Pennywise (yes, that’s his name—show some respect) is all over, no matter the season. He’s on T-shirts, posters, and even the backs of trucks. Sure, he’s a bit spooky, but it’s not like your neighbors are projecting gory horror films onto their garage. It’s just a mildly eerie clown. Nothing more.
And as a mom myself, I’m raising an eyebrow at this. You know what once terrified my child? Christmas lights on a bush outside our town hall. Yes, I have a video of my 3-year-old crying, saying, “It’s a giant bush!” But you know what she loves? Our neighbors’ detailed, creepy zombie display—she even likes to visit and “hug” them.
So really, trying to avoid decor that might scare a child is a lost cause. Kids are unpredictable. They’re quirky. And they’ll surprise you every time.
It seems most commenters weren’t fans of this rant against Halloween fun either. Many replied with explanations as dryly humorous as the original post.
“As a mom of a two-year-old… it’s Halloween,” quipped @positivelypreemie. “Hope that clears it up.”
“Because it’s their house,” added @hlouro7.
Some responses got even cheekier.
@takeme2urcheese joked, “Can someone explain why people use their free will to do what they like at their own house? I just can’t wrap my head around it! Why don’t they consider my family first??!!”
@genericsocialmediaalias chimed in, “Her neighbors should go door to door, getting her kids’ approval on everything before they buy it. Gotta teach those kids that the world revolves around them!”
Look, life is full of things that can scare us, no matter the season. And as parents, we know the challenges of guiding our kids through those fears. But really, in the grand scheme of things, pictures of clowns probably don’t rank high on the list of concerns.