Monster under the bed
It’s the Halloween season once again, though in the Philippines, what is more popularly celebrated is “Undas” or “All Saints Day and All Souls Day.” And with this, the “eerie” atmosphere is around us, a spooky time especially for children and sometimes, even for us, adults.
With all the ghost and monster stories, we wonder how we can teach our children to face their fears. Allow us to share with you some of the techniques we do when our children feel afraid.
1) ASK HIM TO TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT HE IS AFRAID OF
Always ask your child what is bothering him. Right there, you can assess his feelings.
2) GIVE HIM AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY HE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID
Common cause of a child’s fear is misconception. An explanation can be helpful in establishing your child’s courage.
For example:
“You should not be scared of a thunder because it’s just the sound caused by lightning..”
“Monsters are not real, we just see them in the movies and sometimes, in the storybook, but not under the bed or inside your closet…”
3) REMIND HIM THAT HE IS BRAVE AND HE IS UNDER CONTROL
Through a motivation, your child can overcome his fear. This is also helpful in his character building.
For example: “I’m sure you are brave enough to sing along with the thunder…”
4) SET AN EXAMPLE
Make him feel that he is not the only one who thinks that thunder is scary. In fact, when you’re also a child like him, you were scared of thunder too. Tell him how you overcame your fear of thunder, in this way, he would emulate your bravery.
5) MOST OF ALL, BE WITH YOUR CHILD
There’s nothing more important than being with your child whenever he is in this kind of situation. Be with him and give him encouraging words.
For example:
“Oh, it’s just a thunder… it’s just a loud sound… come on, let’s count how many thundering sounds this rain can make!”
When you are not around in times like this, tell him that you’re just a phone call away. Or… If you cannot be with him, leave him a special thing that can reinforce his bravery. A picture of yours would be helpful to keep him company.
For adults, this may help you overcome your fear. I once read in the internet that FEAR stands for FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL. And when you think about it, it does make sense.
*** Mommies and daddies, you might want to share with us some of your tips, tricks and funny stories about your child, kindly email us or leave us a comment, thank you in advance!
