It is normal for a child to have fears. Sometimes your child could be deeply troubled as well. You may be confused as to how to react to your nervous kid.
At this time, hug and comfort your kid gently. Allow your kid to cry out and express his feelings. It will help your child to confront his fears.
What are the Common Fears of Kids?
Some kids are more fearful than others. Their fear changes as they grow. Some fears are common at certain ages. For instance,
Most toddlers have stranger anxiety
Toddlers are generally overwhelmed by powerful emotions. When they are about 8-9 months old, they start becoming familiar with the faces of people around them.
New faces seem scary to them whether it is a new babysitter or a relative. They get easily frightened and they desperately try to cling to their parents when they see strangers.
Toddlers can have irrational fears
Toddlers have a limited understanding of space and size. They may fear sitting in the toilet and be afraid of falling inside.
At this stage, you may have to help your toddler to get used to the feared object gradually.
Fear of the dark and imaginary fears
Many kids are afraid of the dark, especially during bedtime. They may start imagining scary monsters as real.
They may fear what might be under the bed or in their cupboard. Some kids are also frightened of scary dreams or loud noises like thunder or fireworks.
Fear of getting hurt, weather, or danger
As kids grow older, they may begin to understand and get scared about things that could happen in real life. For instance, some may imagine getting hurt by bad people. Some may get scared about natural disasters, stormy weather, burglary, war, death or violence.
Some kids may have apprehension about losing a loved one or their parents getting separated.
Young kids may have social fears
The fears of the kids may extend to their teens as well. Some young kids may worry about not completing their homework, or not getting good grades in school. Some may have apprehensions about their looks or whether they will be judged by friends, or bullied.
Young kids may develop social fears like giving a report in class or appearing for big exams. They may also fear participating in a big game, or walking across the lunchroom.
How Can I Help My Child Face Fears?
You can take positive steps to make your child feel happy and psychologically better. Things that are big, loud, or different may scare your child. But your presence can immensely boost your child’s morale.
Here are some initiatives that you can take to comfort your fearful nervous child
Give hugs and kisses to your toddler
Comfort your toddler when he is fearful. Hug and kiss your toddler gently. Your soothing words will make your child feel safe.
Hold your toddler’s hand so that he feels safe and secure, and ensures that you are there to protect him.
Help your child express his feelings
Whenever your child is upset, allow him to express his feelings. Have a one-to-one conversation with your kid and listen to your little one without judging or ignoring his anxiousness.
You can even talk to your child as soon as he is calm as he will be in a good mood when you explain things to him.
Have a bedtime routine
If your child is afraid of the dark, you can find several ways to reduce his uneasiness. A regular bedtime routine will help your child reduce his fears and give a sense of stability and security.
You can put a nightlight in your child’s room. You can even read or sing to your child so that he feels loved and reassured.
Empathise with your child
Do not make fun of or belittle your child’s fears when he insists that there are under-bed monsters, or in the wardrobe waiting to come out once the light goes off.
You can check together to see if there are any monsters. You can reassure your little one that he is safe and explain gently to him that there are no such things as monsters.
Encourage your child to confront his fears
Your child may be afraid of dogs. As a parent, avoid accommodating his fears.
Do not avoid dogs deliberately while crossing the street as it will only reinforce that dogs should be feared and avoided. You can draw pictures of dogs and gently explain them to your kid. Try to help get close to a very small puppy that is tied up so that your child knows how much to get close to a dog.
Overcoming fear of strangers
Usually, kids are scared of intruders. You can make them overcome this fear by giving them some night-time responsibilities like shutting and locking their bedroom windows.
You can show your child the security measures around the house such as locks. It will help your kid to have some control over his fear.
Reassure your kid
Toddlers fear staying apart from their parents. Initially, allow your toddler to stay away from you for a short time.
As you part from your little one, give a warm hug, and smile, and convince him that you will be back. Your toddler will realise that you always come back.
Do not ridicule your child’s fears
As parents do not ignore your child’s feelings. Your child may have seen news footage, movies or scary books that have frightened him. Make sure that your kids’ television viewing habits and books are appropriate to their age.
You can try to accept your kid’s irrational fears as real and respond sensitively. Let your child know that you take his fears seriously and are willing to answer any questions. Explain to your kid gently about topics such as death or war if he asks about it.
Plenty of physical activities
As parents, ensure that your little one has plenty of physical activities during the day.
Running, playing cartwheels or playing games that include his motor movements will help distract your kid from fears. It will help to reduce his stress levels and enable him to get a good sleep in the night.
Reward your kid
Compliment your kid as he makes small steps towards overcoming his fear.
For instance, if your little one does not jump out of bed after you tuck him in, reward him. Your toddler will be happy if you give him a sticker or a teddy bear as a gift to hug.
Consult a doctor
Most kids overcome their normal fears as they grow However, some kids do need more help with fears. If the fears are extreme and prevent your child from doing normal things, then it might be a sign of an anxiety disorder.
Under such conditions, your child may be very upset for trivial reasons or your child may not like sleeping alone or your child may be feeling breathless, dizzy, having frequent headaches or having a racing heart. In such situations, you can take the help of a doctor or a mental health provider.
No parent wants to see their child upset but with the right gentle approach, you can help your child overcome his fears. It is not difficult, you only need to opt for some tips on comforting your child!
