Netmum's advice on childhood fears and phobias

Netmum's have just produced an advice sheet on childhood fears and phobias. You can view it at:

http://www.netmums.com/support/Childhood_fears_and_phobias.3667/

Their advice includes:

For Fears:
• Try to understand why your child is afraid - have patience and give lots of reassurance!
• Don’t dismiss your child’s fear and try to acknowledge it, without reinforcing it.
• Try to include whatever your child is frightened of into everyday life so that it becomes less of a threat. don't necessarily avoid the thing they are scared of.
• Gradually get a little closer to the feared thing but don't put pressure on your child.
• If your child is old enough, encourage a conversation about fears. You could ask your child what she thinks a friend or would feel in the same situation.
• Try not to be over-protective with your child, or let her pick up on your own fears.

For Phobias:

• Don't avoid the thing your child is afraid of.
• As with fears, do acknowledge your child's feelings, but don’t give them any justification.
• Try to work out if there is an underlying cause for your child’s phobia. Has she had a bad experience, or watched something on TV? Sometimes, a fear or phobia can be the result of other stresses in her life.
• Don’t worry about allowing your child to regress a little. Be around for her with plenty of extra cuddles until she feels ready.
• If your child's phobia gets worse, and it starts to interfere with her life or the rest of the family, talk to your doctor or health visitor about getting help for your child.

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