The world can sometimes be a frightening place for young children. Things that seem perfectly normal and safe for us as parents, may appear harmful and dangerous for children. Parents have to understand that fear is a normal human emotion, that all children have fears at some point in their lives, and with the help of the parents, a kid can understand his/her fears and learn to cope with them.
Little children tend to be scared of almost anything that they don’t know, which, at that age, covers a lot of ground. Parents should try to remember when they were kids themselves when their experiences were so limited, they were going to find almost anything frightening, and so does kids nowadays.
There are a number of ways you parents can step in to help an excessively fearful child. Behaviour modification uses games and play situations to help children become more comfortable and gain the confidence to control their fear.
Hugging our kids daily gives them a sense of security and reassurance at a time when they are confused, scared, and uncertain.
How Can Parents calm Their Child’s Fears?
•Allow your child to acknowledge and discuss his fears. Respect your child’s feelings and accept his fear without judging or ridiculing him, because for your child these fears are very real. This is the most effective way to help your child cope.You should be aware of your own fears and should effectively deal with them so as not to transmit them to your child.
•It’s important for parents to point out to their child what is real and what is not. Techniques that give kids a greater sense of control over their fears are the most beneficial.
Gradually expose your child to the feared object, situation, or animal. By repetition of exposure, the child will understand whatever it is that he is afraid of, and the reason for fear will no longer exist.
Let your child talk about his imaginative fears and try to make them pleasant or funny. Basically, you want to take the fearful object—for example, a dog—and actually use it to help the child master his imagination, and therefore overcome his fears.