Overcoming Fears

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” ― Meg Cabot

Fear of the dark—Fear of the dark is one of the most common childhood fears. This is also a fear that adults can most easily identify with. The lack of the ability to see clearly acts as a spur to the imagination leading most people to imagine that somebody is creeping up on them. If your child is scared of the dark you can indulge by leaving her bedroom door open or leaving a night light on. Keep your child well occupied with games and other activities throughout the day so that he/she has no time to brood on his/her fears. In due course the child will realize that there is nothing to fear at all.

Tangible fears —Sometimes children develop fears of tangible things like dogs, cockroaches, the water, men in uniforms, etc. It is not necessary for the child to have had a frightening experience with any of the objects of their fears. It will certainly not help to coerce them to overcome their fear by forcing them to confront the objects of their fears. There is a good chance that dragging your screaming child towards a dog or throwing her into a swimming pool is going to backfire. Children most often outgrow these fears themselves.