Overcoming fear in children

By the psychological counsellor Nevine Al-Farahta
Sometimes the world seems to small children a frightening place, and things that seem to us as adults natural and completely safe may seem to them harmful and frightening. Parents must know that fear is a natural human feeling and that all children feel fear at certain times in their lives and that this fear is a natural part of their development. With the help and care of parents, a child can understand his fears and learn how to overcome them.

Every child has different fears to varying degrees, and some of those fears are natural in childhood while others are exaggerated, and the parents' role is always to reassure the child.
For example, a child learns to be afraid while crossing the street and to be afraid and refuse to take anything from a stranger, and in this way the child learns how to be careful. Sometimes a child's fears are unreal and imagined, which may turn them into a phobia.

Of course a child is not isolated from the world around him, for he watches the news and hears his family talking about various matters, and therefore he always needs their help in overcoming his various fears.
A child is seized by a fear of the dark when the mother insists that they stay in a completely dark room at bedtime or if they wake in the middle of the night, to the point that this fear may make the child's heartbeat race. If the child is afraid of the dark, the mother should be careful to reassure them even…

You may leave a small light in your child's room, taking care that it does not create frightening shadows on the wall. A child may sometimes have a fear or phobia of going to school, and this fear may be because of a fear of leaving home, of riding the school bus, or of being mocked by his classmates. Of course the mother and the teachers at school must try to deal with all these fears.
If the child is afraid of leaving home, you must reassure him that you will be there when he returns. Sometimes a child between the ages of two and three is afraid of certain things, such as objects that may make a loud noise.
You must understand and respect your child's fears while keeping completely away from belittling them or laughing at him. Although some of a child's fears will fade, you must teach him how to deal with his fears because this will help him when he grows up. Spend a great deal of time with your child. There are some children who need care during bad weather, particularly in storms.

A child should be able to talk about everything they feel, and if, for example, you sense that your child looks afraid, you should ask them about it so that you can begin to understand their fears. A frightened child sucks their fingers, complains constantly or bites their nails. Be assured that when you talk to your child about their feeling of fear, it teaches them how to express their feelings. Help your child to discover the things that make them feel afraid, since this will gradually dispel their fear, and you can read your child books about the things that may frighten them, such as lightning and thunder, while assuring your child that it is natural to feel afraid of some things.