Mississippi daycare workers who wear horror masks to scare kids deserve serious time for their pranks … says the mother of one of the children.

Kathleen JohnsonA 2-year-old son is one of the children in a viral video showing day care workers scaring toddlers to death, and she tells TMZ her boy and his classmates are traumatized.

The father says her son is too young to say how he feels, but he’s showing trauma through his actions … Kathleen says the little guy has a hard time going to sleep at night and is falling behind on potty training, which she blames on him strong reaction to the horror mask.

As we reported … upset parents strongly insisted that the daycare centers be affected allegations of child abuseand Kathleen tells us she agrees with the charges.

Kathleen says she wants the 4 female victims of the crimes to serve 6 to 12 months … saying the video is just a tiny glimpse into what she says was a common occurrence.

Caitlin says she’s not considering filing a lawsuit because she thinks the women will never be hired and won’t be able to pay damages. But, she said, other parents want to wait and see what happens with the criminal case before deciding whether to file a lawsuit.

Caitlin says she’s trying to help her son heal through positive reinforcement. She says she uses a sound machine and a night light to help him sleep, reassuring him that their home and their family is a safe place.

Kathleen says they’re back on track with potty training … and tells us her boy almost passed out before the injury set him back.