How parents can help their children overcome phobias

How parents can help their children overcome phobias

Everyone has something they are afraid of, and so do babies. It’s just that children of different ages are afraid of different things. For babies, the most frightening thing is that their parents are not around, and noisy noises. But for older children, they may be afraid of darkness, monsters, and non-existent objects.

Understanding Childhood Phobias and Symptoms What is a phobia: A phobia is an intense fear of something that may not actually pose a threat. Fear is involuntary and creates an irrational feeling of inadequacy. Fear becomes a phobia: Everyone experiences rational fear, but when fear becomes irrational, it becomes a phobia. Phobias can seriously interfere with everyday life and cause victims to turn to avoidance. Symptoms of phobias: Phobias usually include many symptoms of anxiety, such as sweating, nausea, rapid heartbeat, chest pain, trembling, suffocation, dizziness, numbness or tingling. Things that children of different ages are afraid of Children aged 0 to 2 years: Usually, children aged 0 to 2 years are afraid of tangible things, such as loud noises, strangers, separation from parents, and large objects. These are just simple and direct worries. Children aged 3 to 6 years: Children aged 3 to 6 years are afraid of more imaginary things, such as ghosts, monsters, darkness, sleeping alone, and strange noises because they are beginning to understand more. Children aged 7 to 16: After the age of 7, children have entered a small school society, so they will learn many realistic fears from textbooks, such as getting hurt, getting sick, how they perform in school, death and natural disasters. How to help children overcome fears Don't forget to breathe: When facing fear, most victims will experience symptoms of anxiety, which can be so strong that the body can't stand it. When facing fear, let your child learn to breathe deeply and calmly so that he can stay calm. Facing children's fears: It's easy to say, but it's not easy to do. Facing fears can help overcome fears. Many people with phobias need help from cognitive behavioral therapy to face serious fears, which is usually effective for dealing with smaller fears. Overcome it step by step: Facing fears, if you can solve them step by step, you will eventually be able to overcome them. List the parts that your child is most afraid of, and then face and solve them step by step from beginning to end, from simple to difficult. Understand the body's reactions: When the body is experiencing the anxiety caused by fear, try to be aware of what is happening and recognize that these symptoms are just because of fear. If the anxiety begins, the physical symptoms are greater than the fear itself, which is sometimes more difficult to deal with. Make peace with it: Your child may not be able to make the fear go away, but acknowledging it makes it easier to face it, rather than running away from it. Making peace with the fear allows you to face it and know that although it is scary, it is not dangerous. Try distraction: Whether it is playing games, listening to music or reading, let your child focus on one thing. This can distract your child. Although it does not solve the problem, it can make your child less afraid.

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