Everyone experiences feelings of anxiety and fear at some point in their life. Although these feelings are worrisome in adults, they are necessary and important for the healthy development of children. It helps them to take a firm stance against unexpected events or situations that they may encounter in the future. It also pushes the child to be cautious during the times of his/her life. For example, a child who is afraid of heights avoids dangerous and high places.
Infancy and Childhood Fears:
Fears are different for every age. For example, 0-15 month old babies may have fear of being separated from their parents and their fear of strangers at the beginning of their fears, while the fears of 3-6 year old children are imaginary monsters, ghosts that they think exist in the house, darkness, thunder etc. such as fears.
Experts state that the correct approach of families against behavioral changes that may be caused by fears in children will be effective in overcoming fears. Experts, who say that families have great responsibilities in overcoming fears, draw attention to the fact that the problem can get worse when the discipline applied to the child is inconsistent. For example, a mother who creates the perception of a threat to her child who misbehaves, saying that if you do not behave, I will give you to the beggars on the street, unwittingly causes new fears to sprout.
Take Care of Your Child's Fears:
Taking your child's fears or fears seriously, caring about them, not making fun of them will create self-confidence and will cause them to overcome their fears as they grow up. Otherwise, the child who feels that he is not taken seriously by his family will worry about humiliation and humiliation, and he will not be able to express himself, allowing the problem to grow and not getting support.
How to Approach Your Child with Fears:
• Provide your child with a stable environment of trust within the family.
• Respect your child and his or her fear.
• Remember that children can overcome their own fears by fighting their own fears, unless there are extraordinary circumstances, but encourage them by emphasizing often that you are there for them.
• Whatever your child's fear is, deal with it together. For example, if he is afraid of the dark, leave the light on while he is sleeping, or if he thinks there is a ghost in the house, go around the house together by holding his hand and show that nothing is wrong.
• Never use intimidation as a discipline tool, because fear has a higher sanction power than even beating. For example, saying that if you don't finish your meal, I will give you an injection, it will make situations where injections are necessary very difficult.