Covered Face

A child behavior specialist explains that children are naturally frightened of a covered, or veiled, face: “Children of any age can have a degree of uneasiness around people they don’t know. This ranges from mild bashfulness to utter panic. A fear of strange faces is one of the common human fears we are born with. … A distorted human face—as with make up or a mask—has the power to provoke a reaction ranging from amusement to terror” (Donna, “When Kids Are Scared of Costume Characters—Good Parenting,” Chesapeake Family Life, July 22, 2014, https://www.chesapeakefamily.com/when-kids-are-scared-of-costume-characters-good-parenting/). Covered faces are difficult or impossible to read or interpret.