Easing your preschooler's fears

by Sarah Henry Source: http://www.babycentre.co.uk Preschoolers and fear It's normal for a preschooler to be fearful. After all, anxiety is a natural condition that helps us cope with new experiences and protects us from danger. Some 3- and 4-year-olds are frightened of very specific things: bugs, dogs, the dark, or clowns. Other kids are afraid of new situations or meeting new people. Certain fears are particularly prevalent during the preschool years because a child's highly active imagination may make him worry about make-believe creatures, his (and your) health, death, disaster, and pain. Being hurt is another common fear (that's why your preschooler wants to cover up even the most minor scratch or cut). Most of your preschooler's fears will fade as he becomes more secure in himself and his environment. What you can do to ease your preschooler's fear Acknowledge his fears. They may seem silly and irrational, but they're very real and serious to him. Try not to smile when he tells you he's scared of, say, the neighbor's poodle or monsters under the bed. Let him know you understand how it feels to be afraid of something. If you're reassuring and comforting, he'll learn that it's okay to have fears and that it's best to deal with them. "Try to depersonalize the fear by getting your child to talk about it or label what's making him scared," says William Coleman, a behavioral pediatrician at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. "Fears won't go away if you ignore them." Trying to convince your preschooler that there isn't any reason to be afraid will only backfire. You'll probably just make him more upset if you say, "It's okay, the dog won't hurt you. There's nothing to be afraid of." Instead, try, "I understand that the dog frightens you. Let's walk past him together. If you don't want to do that, I'll hold you while he walks past us." {read full article here}