Explore your childs fears and help them overcome them

Young children often have a habit of fantasizing and this makes them more likely to have fears. Understanding children's fears will help parents easily help their children overcome psychological problems. 

Every night, when dad turns off the light to let baby Cam Ha (4 years old) sleep, the baby is scared, clinging to the father or mother. She said she was scared of the monster lying in the closet. Ha's fear is also quite common in young children. Children often have fears that adults may think are unreasonable but justified to children. To learn more about children's fears, refer to the following aFamilyToday Health article !

1. The first fears of a baby's life

Babies have two fears of noise and the fear of falling. Children's brains and nerves develop rapidly in the early years of life, but their nervous systems are still immature. This means that they cannot control their mood and emotions about the noise and fear of falling. That's why walking past an infant and showing affection or putting the baby down too quickly causes a sudden sound that can make babies cry and frighten.

As the nervous system matures, the baby will focus more on his surroundings and new fears emerge. From 8 - 10 months old, children have a concept of the existence of things. Before this stage, when something disappears, it does not affect the child's mind. Now, however, children can understand that things are gone but still exist. So, when parents leave the room, children often wonder where and when they go home.

2. Divided anxiety

At this age, anxiety is often combined with fear . Children are often more wary of strangers than those who take care of themselves like parents. These are good signs because they distinguish between acquaintances and strangers. Children often feel fear when you disappear or leave them. Children do not want anyone to hold them and just want to be with their parents wherever they are.

To keep your child from clinging to you all the time, play peek-a-boo. They will understand that you are still with them even if they can't see you. Then practice by leaving the room and waiting 1 minute before going back. When applying in life, let your child stay with your husband, then relatives and eventually, the baby will stay with the maid. Your baby will get used to it and will feel good about being with them if you want to leave for a moment or go back to work. You can start off in a short period of time, gradually increasing it over a few weeks.

Whatever you do, don't let your child stay with worry. If you leave without saying goodbye, your child will feel abandoned and seek you out. In addition to feeling scared, they also feel a loss of trust in you. So, before you go, you should tell your child, “Honey, mom go out for a bit. I love you".

3. Fear of noise, animals, darkness

When a child is 1 year old, he or she has a need for independence and control of the surroundings, meaning things out of control can make them more afraid, such as seeing the dog jump, the toilet seat. automatic water or thunder.

4. Fear of creatures

Some babies feel scared when standing alone or seeing a cockroach crawling towards them. To help your child feel more at ease, let him explore the animal world for himself through books. Letting your children control their own world will make them feel better.

You are an adult and don't feel fearful about creatures, but respect your child's feelings. The best way to understand children is to listen and teach them how to overcome their fears. Also, tell your child that these feelings are normal and sometimes you will feel the same way.

5. Fear of the cry at night

When a child is 2 years old, a child's imagination begins to work. Children can imagine things they cannot see. For example, your child will imagine a monster appears after opening the door. So ask them about their fears and what you can do to help them overcome.

Medical doctor Robert Sears , co-author of The Baby Book, advocates for parents to sleep with their children. If you feel uncomfortable, you can stay with your baby until they are asleep. Establish a habit of sleeping at a fixed time (9 p.m.) and don't tell scary stories about bad guys or scary images before bed.

6. Recognize and feel your fear

Use your child's imagination and ask them what you can do to help them overcome their fears. For example, Cu Ti (3 years old) is scared of the monster in the room. Phuong, her mother, asked her mother what she could do to help her child overcome his fear. Ti replied that if there were 5 books in bed, everything would be fine. Following her words, she put 5 books at the head, under the bed and the monster did not come back.

If your child is worried about the monsters hiding, have them check in their closet. Let a large stuffed animal look like it's sitting guard behind the door. When you open the door, the child will not feel afraid anymore. Or you use an insect killer pretending to destroy your monster.