Friday 7 January 2022

How to Help Your Child Overcome a Fear of Monsters Under the Bed?

Most of the kids get scared when the lights go out. The common reason for their fear is the thought of having a monster under their bed. You are not alone if your kid thinks that the monster will attack when the lights will be off. With the tips mentioned in this post, you can easily convince your kids to sleep alone and overcome anxiety.

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Why kids are scared of monsters under the bed?

Fear of darkness and fear of nighttime are the two most common reasons that created the anxiety of getting a monster under the bed. Another factor that can be blamed for the playful imagination of kids is the weird characters they watch in the TV show or see in a comic book.

At what age kids are most likely to get scared of imaginary monsters?

Kids at the age of 3 can experience fearful sensations from anything they don’t understand. Preschoolers are susceptible to their imagination which fuel their fears of monsters and evils they watch on the TV. On the other hand, older school-going children may deal with sleeping anxiety in the case of thunderstorms or dogs barking at night.

How to help your child to overcome bedtime anxiety?

The vivid imagination of kids is so powerful that simply denying the fact that there is no monster under the bed or inside the closet is not going to work. You need to make strategies to help them overcome the fear. To do this, try the following tips:

  • The key step is to supervise their media consumption. Be mindful about their choices of dramas and shows to watch before bed.

  • Gather all their toys, create a scenario where one of their favorite toys is getting scared of the monster and ask them to act the role of the brave boy who will help the toy to deal with the monster.

  • Rather them leaving alone in the bed scared, try to encourage them to create artwork and imagine the look of the monster. Drawing and painting are highly helpful to overcome anxiety and stop vivid imaginations.

  • Teach them to live in the dark or use a night light. If they are not accustomed to living in the dark, share some stories before bedtime when you can sit with them in their bed with lights out or just with a flashlight.

Avoid teasing them and show empathy towards their feelings. If you feel the above tips are not helping, you may wish to seek guidance from a professional. For creating a soothing and confident learning environment, you may also wish to contact Childventures. It is the most recognized early childhood education facility in Ontario.