Psychologists call fears in children a common occurrence, since the innate ability to be afraid itself helps a person to survive. However, phobias that are not detected and neglected in a timely manner can become pathological and haunt your child all his life. If your toddler is having obsessive nightmares, it is very important to help the child overcome the fear.
Children's fears and age
- At 2-3 years old, the baby associates harsh sounds with danger, this cause of fear in young children is extremely common.
- Not all parents fully understand how painful sometimes the eternal fear of the dark is for a baby.
- Many children instinctively fear pets, especially strangers, until they get used to them.
- The causes of fear in children from 4 years of age are often associated with the developing imagination. The child can be frightened by the heroes of computer games and films, shadows, dreams, their own embodied fantasies.
- Fears grow with children, especially quickly if toddlers are faced with grief in the family. Already from the age of 5, a small person may be afraid of terminally ill, losing a loved one, or dying.
5 ways to help your child overcome fear
- Protection. It is not worth saying that there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of. Fear is a natural phenomenon. However, the child should know that an adult is nearby, he will definitely stand up for his protection, if necessary.
- Understanding. Be sure to tell your son (daughter) that you understand what exactly he (she) is afraid of. A story about a similar, but successfully experienced by you, fear in childhood will be appropriate. Dialogue is essential!
- Never laugh at your child's fears - children will hide problems because of a sense of shame, which threatens the development of a phobia. You risk losing your child's trust in adults.
- Optimism. It has been proven that a frightened child is best calmed by the low voice of a man - dad, uncle, older brother. Calmly and confidently promise your baby that everything will be fine.
- Promotion. More often remind the children of the victories they have won over their fears, but never failures.
Correction of fears in children
Effective methods of overcoming fear, which are successfully used by child psychologists, are more related to the impact on the emotions of babies, and not on their mind. For example, if your child is afraid of the dark, it is unlikely that logical beliefs will help him that with the lights off in the room nothing will change. Experts advise to accustom your baby to the dark.
In a "scary" room, the light must be turned off, in others it must be turned on. Initially, it is recommended that you take the child by the hand and walk into the dark room and walk out together if he becomes afraid. Gradually increase the time of such trips, be patient, and the child will begin to make them on his own and get used to being in the room he has explored.
To help the child overcome fear is well helped by playing around a problem situation, in which the hero comes out victorious. Fairy tale therapy comes to the rescue - treatment with fairy tales, in which good always triumphs over evil. Choose suitable stories, invent your own, for example, about a teddy bear who was afraid of a dark forest, but friendship with a small and brave firefly helped him overcome his fear.
Let the children become actors, use their favorite toys, and reenact different situations. Without knowing it, kids can tell a lot about the causes of bad dreams and emerging phobias in the process of fabulous improvisation.
How you can build a fabulous training
1. Draw a fairy tale in faces or with puppets so that it evokes an emotional response in the child.
2. Consolidate the acquired experience. So, you can give your child a flashlight, with which he will climb into the "den" of chairs and blankets. Hang a night light in the children's room.
3. Draw conclusions together. The story played out must necessarily be associated with a specific problem (for example, a fear of entering a dark room).
If you are trying to help a child overcome fear, but you cannot solve the problem on your own, in no case do not allow your son or daughter to have an unpleasant phobia for life. Consult an experienced child psychologist, and together you will surely cope with the problem.
