What is fear? This is a manifestation of the instinct of self-preservation, the reaction is an unfavorable condition, a threat. They should not be ignored, because its occurrence to serious psychological problems is already an adult.
Why is the child afraid?
The direct causes of childhood fears are as follows:
- The transferred situation, traumatic for the psyche and the likelihood of its recurrence;
- Reminders about the possibility of getting into trouble, discussion of negative events in the presence of a child;
- Frequent warnings about the dangers of independent actions of the child;
- Conflicts in the family and frequent bans;
- Educational intimidation;
- Relations with other children.
An indirect reason is the creation of favorable conditions for the development of fear, for example, improper behavior of parents. The absence of one of the parents, the absence of brothers or sisters affects the perception of the baby and, accordingly, increases the predisposition to fear. Their appearance is also affected by the stress suffered by the mother during pregnancy. The presence of any phobia also depends on age.
What are the fears?
The smallest can be frightened by strangers, estrangement from mother, darkness, being alone, fictional characters. Older children experience fears of death, terrible dreams, beasts or the loss of parents, punishments. At school age, small people are afraid not to live up to expectations or find themselves in a bad situation related to relationships with peers.
Basic fears and methods of deliverance
One of the first fears is the fear of loneliness.It is caused by a sense of uselessness to people leaving a child alone. In the event of his appearance, it is necessary to convince the baby that he is loved, despite the fact that you have to leave him. It is necessary to discuss the time of the parent's return and to stay in touch with him during his absence. The next fear is the fear of the dark. Do not try to temper the child by intentionally leaving him in the dark and showing that there is nothing there.
The best solution is to turn on the light and let the child see that nothing changes in the light. The fear of death is very dangerous for the psyche. You should not take the baby to a funeral until 10 years old, scare him with the death of his parents in order to educate. But mention of the dead people and the fact that they did not leave forever, but remained to live in the hearts of people, would not hinder. This fear is usually very strong, so it will not be superfluous to turn to psychotherapists if the parents do not cope on their own.
If any fear occurs, parents can help the baby like this:
- It is necessary to listen and understand the child, but not insist on a heart-to-heart talk, as this can lead to an aggravation of fear;
- To convince that he is loved and protected;
- Explain why scary things really aren't;
- To come up with rules that will ensure the child’s safety;
- To study works in which everything terrible is only a fantasy of the hero.
If a child is afraid, you cannot punish him for fear, disdain him and consider the fear stupid, “knock a wedge with a wedge”, creating a situation where the baby will be left alone in his fear, letting him read or watch too many horrors.
If fear does not leave the child, despite the help of parents, it is recommended to consult a therapist.Early fears that carry over into adulthood are the cause of mental disorders.
