Dealing With Toddler Fear
Fear is normal. A lot of kids are afraid of the dark, of dogs or of bugs. A certain amount of fear is actually healthy (you know, that whole "survival of the fittest" stuff). But if your kid is overly fearful, you may need to help him cope. Here are some tips:
report abuse- Don't downplay your kids fears. A bee might not terrify you, but if it scares your kid, it's important to acknowledge his fear.
- Talk about it! Listen to your kid and let him talk about his fears.
- Give your kid lots of opportunities to overcome his fear (if he's afraid of riding a trike, take it out often), but don't push him into doing things he's afraid of or he might resist even more.
- Teach by example. If your kid is afraid of the pool, hop in yourself and show him it's fun!
- Don't make his fear a huge a big deal! Listen and support him but don't make it a mountain out of a molehill.
- Keep it private! Don't discuss his fears in front of other people.
- Have your kid draw his fears out on paper.
- If your kid seems super fearful of everything under the sun, you may want to talk to your doc about setting up an appointment with a child therapist.
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