HELPING CHILDREN MANAGE FEAR

Fear is a complex issue and even more so for children. It’s essential to understand why they feel these anxieties and how best to help them manage their feelings.

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Fear or worry are appropriate emotions for children to feel when faced with real-world dangers. They are useful in certain circumstances as they will keep your child out of harm’s way. However, we all remember being afraid of things as a child that don’t scare us at all now. It’s common and understandable for kids to feel fear in situations that we, as adults, find harmless. Just because they aren’t a big deal to us doesn’t mean that they won’t be overwhelming to children. The best approach is not to force your child to face their fears right away but instead to encourage them to chat about how they feel and to listen to what they have to say.

As your child grows and changes, their fears will change too. Less rational fears such as being afraid of the dark or monsters in the wardrobe may be replaced by fear of strangers or injuring themselves. So take their feelings seriously, allow them to talk about their worries, and encourage them to confront their fears in their own time. It’s so important for your child to know that you believe them and support them.

BEHIND THE FEAR

Every child is unique and some feel more fear than others. There can be several reasons for this. Overprotective parenting can result in a child who feels lost or helpless without their parents around. Having an anxious parent can teach a child that worry or anxiety is an appropriate reaction to any kind of stressful situation. Experiencing a trauma, such as an injury, can increase the general level of anxiety that a child feels. The sensitivity of children can even vary due to their personality type.