Fear of the Dark

Is your child afraid of the dark? While a completely normal fear, generally caused by an overactive imagination combined with a frightening movie or book, it can be a frustrating one for parents. You might feel that your child is simply trying to stay up later (which could be true!) instead of expressing a real fear. It is important to understand that your child really does believe that a monster lives in the closet, though and to treat his fear as a real one.

Avoid causing problems by using common phrases like, "If you don't brush your teeth, the Boogeyman is going to get you." These just reinforce the natural fear that children have of monsters and strange creatures. For small children, it is best not to even mention monsters, although they will be more than capable of coming up with their own imaginary demons by about age 2 or 3! No need to put ideas in their heads, though.

A little light is often all a child needs to feel secure. Use a night light that plugs into the wall, a revolving light that projects a picture onto the walls or ceiling (also good for distracting little eyes from the closet door) or a dimming lamp that can be brightened with the touch of a hand. These are all soft enough to allow the child to sleep, but they provide enough light to see that there are no creatures lurking behind the dresser.

Some parents have had great success with Monster Spray. This is just a bottle of regular air deodorizer for which you have printed an elegant label. The label should have a list of things that it banishes, monsters, ogres, dragons, evil elves, etc. Add anything that your child is afraid of and include an ingredients list that can be as odd as you want. Make sure the label is well stuck on and covers the entire bottle, preventing the child from seeing the real bottle.

This Monster Spray can be used as needed under beds and in closets. It is quite surprising how many children can be completely calmed by the action of spraying for monsters! You may have to do this each night before bed for several months, so stock up on labels! You can easily make up your own printable labels on Microsoft Publisher.

Reassuring kids that there are no monsters or other lurking things in their room seldom does any good. Instead, it is best to show them. Open the closet and move things around so they can see that nothing is there. Shine a flashlight under the bed as well. It is a good idea to leave a flashlight within reach of your child's bed so he can shine it into suspicious areas at night. Fisher Price makes a handy light that automatically switches off on its own to save batteries.

Keeping the child's room neat and tidy is a good way to prevent imaginary visitors as well. A coat rack with a shirt thrown over it might look just like a goblin in the dark. Trim branches outside the child's window as well, to prevent odd noises. If you live in an old house that makes lots of creaking and squeaking noises, you might want to add a low radio in the child's room, or even a fan to block out extra noises.

Nearly all children are afraid of the dark, but these simple steps can eliminate a lot of their fears. Whatever you do, don't ridicule your child. To him, monsters and things that go bump in the night are very real.