Child psychology:
phobias Automatic translate

A child needs a feeling of fear, since this emotion is responsible for the instinct of self-preservation. What is fear really?

An individual will experience great anxiety when something threatens his existence. People who lack a sense of fear often succumb to thoughtless risks. But you should not instill false fears in your child; they will appear on their own at a certain age. Based on materials from: http://meduniver.com/Medical/Psixology/14.html

At what age does a child develop fears?

At the age of eight months, the child already experiences anxiety in front of strangers. If the baby feels uncomfortable when other people hold him, then the child’s development is progressing normally. The child already shows that he feels safe with his mother. Fear will gradually go away if you give the baby enough attention. Thus, the child will be able to stay with other family members without fear.

Of course, complete trust in strangers cannot be expected, however, the child feels how the parents react to others, and, accordingly, he will react the same way. Children’s fears peak between the ages of two and nine years. They perceive the world around them, just like adults, however, their idea of ​​life is not entirely correct due to their highly developed imagination. Subsequently, the child may be afraid of noise or strange objects.

The state of anxiety, in this case, is a common mental reaction to previously unknown objects or phenomena. Even fairy-tale characters from books can become the subject of fear, so you should not ignore the child’s anxious state. With the right approach and explanations, you can make your child’s life easier by freeing him from fears. Fear of animals and fear of the dark most often occurs at 3-5 years of age.

At the age of five to seven, a child develops a fear of death for himself and his family. This comes with the realization that life is not endless, and is considered the norm necessary for further development. In this case, only love and support from the parents can help the child cope with this. But, if such fears prevent the child from living a normal life, then parents should use the services of a child psychologist.

Is your child afraid of doctors?

Children are increasingly faced with hospital examinations, which can bring them discomfort. Most children react normally to people in hospital gowns and do not experience fear during further visits to clinics. However, there are kids who react inappropriately, cry and throw tantrums. It is useless to persuade them; threats also do not work. Because of this, many parents and doctors face serious problems.

How to deal with such fears? To do this you need to have a lot of patience. As mentioned earlier, threats and persuasion will not work here. You should try to calm the baby by hugging him or picking him up.

Play with your baby as often as possible using toys that look like hospital instruments. Choose high-quality and more realistic ones. Include your baby’s favorite plush toys in this set. Act out performances in front of your child, line up a line of animals to see the “doctor”, let them talk about their ailments and not be afraid to give injections. Read fairy tales on similar topics aloud to your child more often, for example, “Doctor Aibolit.” Also play “doctor” with your child without toys, play the role of “doctor” yourself. Take a few toys with you when you need to visit the doctor again. Show them to the doctor and compare them with his real instruments.

From an early age, it is necessary to explain to the child that fears must be left behind. This also applies to visiting a doctor, as you need to take care of your health. In this case, you should not cancel your visit to the doctor. Reassure your child if he is afraid to go to the appointment. However, you should not frighten your child with incurable diseases and certain medical procedures.

Is your child afraid of the dark?

Many children are afraid to be alone in the dark. This is facilitated by the child’s developed imagination. The child does not want to stay in the dark, although recently he was not afraid to fall asleep with the lights off. This confuses parents. But you need to understand that, due to his age, the child is seriously afraid of the dark. There is no point in convincing a child; there is no need to forcibly leave him alone in the dark. If the fear of the dark does not go away and prevents the child from living a normal life, it means that the child needs love and attention from his parents. Read him fairy tales more often before bed, hug him, sit next to him. Don’t be afraid, you won’t spoil your child with this; on the contrary, it will make him feel safe.

Games such as “hide and seek”, “tag”, “blind man’s buff” will help the child cope with his fear. Thus, the child will learn to manage his emotions, follow and remember the rules. The rules of the game “hide and seek” are more suitable, since the child will need to hide in a dark place. Over time, your baby will overcome his fear of the dark if you are patient and do not injure or intimidate him.

Is your child afraid of large groups of people?

Many kids love to recite poems, sing and dance in front of an audience, however, there are children who feel discomfort in front of a large audience, avoid it and start crying. Even if persuasion works, such a child, speaking at a children’s matinee, for example, will begin to feel embarrassed, speak quietly, and then will not want to participate in general games and competitions. To which many parents begin to feel ashamed of their child and try to change him. It becomes difficult for the child; due to the persistence of parents and peers, he can withdraw into himself even more and even start fighting.

In this case, you need to be patient and not force him to participate in competitions and games that he does not like. Accept his shyness, but do not protect him from general participation: choose activities that your child likes best, for example, drawing. You can also help him by arranging small performances at home with his participation. If the baby is embarrassed at home, let him perform in front of his favorite toys. Take on the role of organizer, place the toys, prepare the stage. It will be good if you take a few photos or organize a home video and look at the result together. Don’t forget to praise and encourage your child. If kindergarten requires mandatory participation, agree with the teacher not to make your baby the center of attention. Tasks where you need to sing and dance in a group of children will be more enjoyable for him.

Does your child avoid playing with peers?

When playing with peers, many children do not know how to stand up for themselves, give away toys, and run away from the offender. This model of behavior does not please the parents at all; they begin to criticize the child and force him to hit back. This should not be done, the child will not become bolder; on the contrary, he will be even more afraid and withdraw into himself.

The baby will not let himself be offended, if you instill in him self-esteem, respect him. You should not reproach your child if he endured attacks or was afraid of the offender. It’s better to talk to him face to face, find out what made him retreat, why he didn’t answer the offender, why he didn’t take his toy. It is necessary to correctly understand the reason for this behavior: whether it is caused by self-doubt or whether the child perceived it as part of the game.

If you see that the child wants to fight back, but is afraid to do so, then clearly explain that if he does not defend himself, the situation may repeat itself. Set an example for your child by performing a performance where the offended person and the offender change places. This will help the baby develop the correct behavior pattern. It is also necessary to teach him not to be afraid of games with bodily contact. Games such as “heap is small”, tag, comic wrestling with dad or mom will help overcome fear of peers and make the baby physically and mentally stronger.

Thus, if you perform all the above steps correctly, you can make your child’s life easier by relieving him of fear.