Preschoolers Fears

Preschoolers Fears

• None of us want our children to be afraid but sometimes fear can keep us from doing dangerous things.
• Fear can be confusing for children. Sometimes they are afraid of real things and sometimes imaginary things. When they are afraid it is hard to reason with them.
• It is important NOT to act like imaginary fears are real because you could reinforce them and make them worse. DON'T look for monsters in cupboards, because you could reinforce the fears and make them worse.
• You can:
  • tell them calmly there is nothing there
  • show them there is nothing there
  • keep a light on
  • encourage them to put their fears into words
  • admit that sometimes you get scared
  • listen to find out whether a serious fear is lurking behind a childish one.
• If the fear is real it's even more important that not don't make fun of it or force the child to face the fear. You can:
  • accept that fear is a natural response
  • offer support and comfort the child
  • wait patiently until the child is able to talk about it
  • begin to talk gently about the idea when the child is willing
  • help the child think about why they feel this way
  • be positive
  • find out if there is a reason for the child to continue being scared. Is something going on that you don't know about?

     

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