Dealing with Night-time Fears
To children nighttime can be a scary time as their imaginations run wild and the smallest sound or shadow on the wall can become a ‘monster’. Dr. Richard Sherman, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles says, “Monster fear is real. This is a very common problem among children between the ages 3 and 6.”
Between the age of 3 and 6 a child’s imagination becomes fully developed. Engaging in pretend play throughout this period is very common. Children can pretend to build a castle out of a blanket, rock a crying doll to sleep, or even have imaginary friends that they interact with on a regular basis. With all that is good, there is always something bad. In this instance, the increase of their imagination can also cause them to develop fears. For many children distinguishing between imagination and reality can be difficult.
Dr. Sherman advises, “Parents need to take these concerns seriously rather than simply telling their children that monsters do not exist.” It is equivalent to telling an adult to not be afraid while walking down a dark alley in a bad neighbourhood. The most important part about overcoming fear is how you handle what can not be changed. In other words, your child does have to go to bed and it will be night-time when this occurs. We can’t change that. But what can we do as parents to help alleviate the fears children may have as their imaginations run wild?
- To help your child cope with night-time fear, provide your child with a flash light that they can keep next to their bed. This way, they can shine it on any dark corners of the room at any time to see that there is nothing to be afraid of.
- Play games at dusk just as the sun is setting so your child gets comfortable in the dark.
- Don’t allow your child to watch scary shows that feature monsters.
- Try reading books about children who overcome their monster fears. A favourite is “Too Many Monsters” in which a boy learns that monsters are afraid of ducks and that quacking makes them run away.
- Some parents make it a nightly ritual to check all the places in their child’s room where a monster might hide and then reassure their child that their room is monster free.
- Night-lights can help dispel a child’s fears.
