Child Anxiety and Fear

What Can You Do?

There are many causes for child anxiety and fear. Children can experience fear in a variety of situations. Fear is a natural way the body protects itself from a potentially dangerous situation, however, children may also develop fears that are connected to emotions.

Getting to the root of the issue is the only way to calm the child and help them get over their fear.

Some common childhood fears are fear of the dark, fear of monsters, and fear of being alone. These can cause a child to lose sleep, begin to falter in school, withdraw from others, and exhibit anger. Child anxiety and fear needs to be taken seriously because the child believes his or her fears are real.

Darkness

Fear of the dark is a fear that almost all children experience at some point and the fear of the unknown is brought on by the child’s imagination. This fear is what can keep a child awake all night calling for their parents, crying, and tossing and turning for hours. Not getting enough sleep will lead to poor health and difficulties with attention and focus.

What can parents do to help their children overcome this fear?

Parents need to listen to their children when they describe their fear. Many children are afraid of shadows and noises, as well as movement outside their door. Leaving the door open may help; when a child knows what is causing the movement, they will begin to calm down.

Shadows are caused by furniture, trees outside a window, or a pile of clothing left on the floor. Installing a night light will allow the child to see the objects that are causing the shadows. Noises are a little more difficult to address, especially in older houses that are constantly settling, or when they’re hearing noises made by neighbors. Explaining these noises and what they really are will help the child learn to understand them. Listen with the child and explain the noises as they occur.

Monsters

Child anxiety and fear can also be connected to fear of monsters hiding in the dark. When a child cannot sleep and is bothered by noises and shadows, their imagination will sometimes create monsters. These monsters live under the bed or in the closet. Acknowledge your child’s fear and let her know that you understand her feelings and offer supportive statements. Let her know that her feelings are okay and explain that monsters do not exist in the way she thinks.

Being Alone

A fear of being alone may just be a fear of being left behind at the grocery store or on the playground. For many children, attachment to parents and to the family unit is what drives this fear. Because of this it is important to give children time to play or read alone. The child will benefit greatly from being away from the television, other children, and even parents and this quiet time can promote feelings of self-reliance, pride, and self-awareness. Children generally will not fear being alone anymore once they can develop positive associations with it.

It is important to reassure the child that they will not be left at the grocery store and tell them the steps they should take if for some reason they do get separated from the family.

Fears like these are a natural part of childhood. How a parent handles the situation will make all the difference to a child's well-being and development.

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Legal Disclaimer: The information contained in this web site is for educational purposes only and its not meant to replace medical advice, diagnose or treat any disease. Healthcare professionals can provide disagreeing opinions on health issues including child anxiety and fear, consequently each parent in the end is responsible for directing the health care of their children.