October is the month of terror, spiders, witches, ghosts, pumpkins with teeth and scary eyes. But fear is present in your child's life not only when Halloween arrives. Childhood fear is part of a child's development; it expresses a mixture of the survival instinct and the boundless imagination that accompanies learning through play.
This time we want to share some tips about childhood fear: when does it appear?, why?, what to do about that fear, how to support our children in those moments by focusing their attention on playful activities.
When does childhood fear appear and why?
Childhood fears typically appear between the ages of 3 and 6. During this stage, children don't yet understand the world around them and haven't reached the maturity needed to distinguish between reality and imagination. However, as with any other time in their childhood when they may feel fear and insecurity, the most important thing is to be there for them and help them feel calm, safe, and confident.
Monster games: Goodbye childhood fear
As psychology always indicates, talking about things makes us aware of them and therefore allows us to resolve them, right? Well, something similar happens with our children's fears.
If children have fears of monsters, witches, or other imaginary beings, it's very important to talk about it. Using play as therapy, as a way to have fun and overcome that challenge, can be a very good strategy.
October seems like the perfect month to suggest this at-home activity, as all the places we visit (school, shopping centers, toy stores, etc.) will now be decorated for the occasion: Halloween is coming! We even encourage you to decorate your own house; the little ones will love doing it as a family.
Below, we present a list of games that you can practice with your children during the next few days, and help them overcome their fears.
Goodbye Childhood Fear 1: Let's Play Scaring
Between six and nine months, babies begin to play hide-and-seek to surprise those around them. According to studies in child psychology, this game is a useful tool that helps them manage the anxiety they feel when they don't see their mother, father, or other close family members. They are then overjoyed when they see them reappear, as babies are unaware that they are still there, hidden behind clothing, for example.
Having learned this mechanism for managing distress and anxiety, playing pranks, with or without costumes, can be very helpful in temporarily resolving this childhood fear. It's important to clarify that fears come and go, and that they also change depending on the child's stage of life.
Goodbye Childhood Fear 2: Let's Draw a Terrifying Monster
Drawing is another wonderful tool for expression. It's another channel of communication with our children that can give us a lot of information about how they feel.
Ask your child what they imagine a monster to be like. Then, you can suggest they draw their monsters, how they see or imagine them. This way, they'll channel the anxiety that fear of the unknown causes, and cross the barrier between the imaginary and the real simply through play.
Goodbye Childhood Fear 3: Playing with Shadows
Since this stage of childhood fear is strongly linked to imagination, we recommend playing with shadows. Yes, it often happens that the movement of the trees casts a shadow that moves for a moment, capturing their attention through the window. Then the little ones are terrified!
Teaching them to play with shadows is another fun and terrifying option to help our children overcome some fears.
However, despite these games, if you notice that during childhood there is any fear that prevents your child from developing their life and activities normally, do not hesitate to consult their doctor.
