How to Help Your Child Overcome Fears Valley Stream NY

Steps

1. Listen to your child. Make sure they feel understood and not judged. Assure them that everybody has fears.
2. Offer to walk with the child through the house/room/ area that the child associates fear with. Open all the doors, look under the bed - use light to show that nothing is there. If your child is frightened by sounds or shadowy images, discuss what could actually be causing these sounds in a nonjudgemental way.
3. Encourage the child to tell the "bad thing" to get out/ assert the child's ownership of their personal space.
4. Read happy positive stories every night to your child before they go to bed.
5. Make sure your child knows they are loved and you will always be there to protect them

Tips

• Do not let your child watch movies > PG rating. If the movie is PG - read WHY it is PG. If there are thematic/ scary parts - do not let your child watch until they are older.
• You can put some lavendar in a spray bottle. Spray this into the air and tell the child it will help to get rid of those negative things that are bothering them. Lavendar is a very calming herb and will settle the child. It is also an action that the child will see, and help calm them.
• A nice cup of warm milk in a special teacup can help at night, add a tea bag that is not caffeine based, such as vanilla rooibos tea to make a nice flavor.
• Numerous books and movies are available about friendly ghosts and monsters.
• Read or watch some of these with your child to help them imagine nonthreatening creatures that might visit their room at night.

Warnings

• Get rid of all scary items in your home.
• Sometimes unreasonable fears may have some basis in the child being molested or some other past trauma. If so, seek professional help.

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