Family Variable

A fear of darkness particularly being left alone in the dark is one of the most common fears in this age group. To better help the little ones who start to be afraid of the dark the following tips can help you find better ways to lighten this delicate moment of development in your childrens lives.

Is Your Child Afraid Of The Dark Cricket Media

Innocent comments about the boogie man or fantasy characters who keep watch over children while they sleep may to a child be a scary prospect.

Child scared of the dark. Expressing this fear in front of the child can then reinforce the behaviour and lead to the phobia persisting. And whether or not your child has a comforting nightlight or one of the best flashlights the surrounding darkness may still strike fear in them. Show them that you can play with glow sticks and sparkles when it is dark out.

When childrens cognitive abilities expand so does their imagination. Fear of the dark usually starts to crop up in toddlerhood. This form of well-meaning discipline can often cause more problems than it solves.

One contributing factor however is if the parents also have a fear of the dark. The fear of the dark can generate a lot of anxiety damaging the routine and family relationships as the child needs special care. Establish a bedtime routine that your child finds relaxing and enjoyable.

For example read stories about children or animals that have overcome a fear of the dark. Also when it is dark out you can see fireworks and fireflies outside. A fear of the dark usually lasts for a few weeks to a few months.

As children we all end up being afraid of the dark at one point or another. For some kids this fear never goes away. Predictable bedtime routines help to reduce anxiety.

How you as parents andor guardians address your childs fears and offer reassurance will affect his or her ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. A Book For Children Scared of the Dark. Helping a child overcome this fear can give them confidence that they can face other fears in the future.

Being afraid of the dark is a very common complaint among young children and one worth addressing. Fear of the dark is a common and typical fear for most children. For many reasons young children get frightened when theyre alone especially at night and in the dark.

Usually the fear of the dark hits home for kids around the ages of 2 or 3 when theyre old enough to imagine but not wise enough to distinguish fantasy from reality Berman says. According to one study 43 of children between ages 6 and 12 had many fears and concerns. Some of us from an early age are scared of what might be in the dark and well the rest of us pick up on the concept of monsters and things of the sort through stories movies and so forth.

Many parents try to help their child overcome her fear of the dark by leaving the childs bedroom lights on or the hall light on and the bedroom door open often leading to the light shining. Some studies show that up to 90 percent of children between the ages of 2-14 develop at least one specific fear with fear of animals the dark or imaginary monsters or ghosts being among the top. In children fear from the dark or nyctophobia is quite common.

A childs fear tends to lessen if they feel they have some control over a situation. Put a nightlight in your childs room or let some light from the hallway or other nearby source filter into their room. So is a fear of animals such as large barking dogs.

You may even remember being scared of the dark when you were small and even today still feel a bit of anxiety when the lights go out. Some children are afraid of fires high places or thunderstorms. Fear of the dark monsters in the closet or simply anxiety about going to bed these are all relatively common in young children at some point during their childhood.

Afraid of the dark. Some children develop a fear of the dark without any specific reason. Young children are often scared of the dark - and the monsters they imagine hiding in their room.

A wonderful way for you to help them with this fear is to show them that the dark can be fun. Children are most often afraid of the dark starting at around the age of about 2 through the preschool years although it can appear in older children as well. If your child is older than four or five and is still scared of the dark Mabe says that studies have found that a combination of stories and toys have had good results.

Jade lets her imagination run away from her dreaming up all kinds of scary monsters until she is sure she wont be able to sleep at all. Jade Braves the Dark Bedtime is here but Jade is much too scared to fall asleepwho knows what could be hiding in the dark. Supernanny expert Dr Martha Erickson explains how to handle your little ones fears.

General suggestions for fear of the dark Practical ways to deal with your childs fear of the dark include. Many children with nighttime fears in general or a fear of the dark in particular end up convincing their parents to sleep with the room ablaze with the overhead light the hall light and the. Your child is afraid of the dark because they think that it is scary.

Some parents without meaning to do so can create a situation where a child may become scared of the dark.