4 MIND-BLOWING REASONS WHY YOUR CHILD IS EXPERIENCING FEAR
Do you ever wonder why your child experiences a certain type of fear, fears the monsters under his bed, feels fear when you are not around, or has a fear of the dark? Here are 4 exact reasons as to why they experience fear;
- Fear Caused From Experience
This is a type of fear gained from previous interactions or encounters with certain situations and anything similar to those situations will place fear in your kid. For example, if your child touches an object on fire, he will quickly put his hand away and label it dangerous. This type of fear is positive and it’s how humans have survived throughout their existence, but it also has a negative side. Let us say your child got bullied at school for refusing to do something for his bully. You will see your child when you tell him to do something he doesn’t like to do, willingly doing it. Before he used to object and say Mom I don’t want to do anything but now the scenario that plays in his head is that if I refuse and stand up for myself I will be harmed and bullied. You will see your stubborn child people-pleasing because he doesn’t want to experience that situation of bullying again
- Transferred Fears
This is a type of fear that is transferred through the warning of others and the experiences of others. For example, if you warn your children of snakes and tell them bad things that can happen to them if they get near them. You will see your children fearing snakes not because they experienced the fear but because you transferred the fear to them through your warning. Same with telling them a story where a snake was about to bite you. The problem is when unnecessary fear is transferred to them. For example, if your child has a friend who has a fear of cats and warns him or tells him about his bad experience with cats, You might see your child starting to fear cats.
- Fear of the Unknown
This type of fear is experienced when a person can’t predict the results. When your child sleeps in a dark room he experiences fear of the unknown. Since the room is so dark, he can’t see what’s in front, beside, or coming to him. This makes him unable to predict the results of being in this dark room where maybe a monster is in front of him. This is what makes him fear being in a dark room. Some other examples of the fear of the unknown are;
- fear of an exam because he doesn’t know if he will pass or fail
- Fearing public speaking because he doesn’t know if it will be good
- Fearing meeting new people because he doesn’t know if he will be accepted
They are all caused by one simple reason which is not being able to predict the results of their actions.
4 Fear of Rejection and Loss
This is one of the most common fears in young kids. A child fears the loss of parents because their interactions, compliments, and admiration make him feel important and secure. Losing his parents means he will no longer be able to receive security, love, and importance. This makes him have fear of losing his parents which is mostly temporary. The other one is a child sees his parent’s love and compliments so important and without them he can’t continue his life. If the child is neglected he will think that there is a problem in him that is making his parents reject him. He will start to please his parents to make them love him and compliment him. This instills/ fear of rejection in his mind and also negatively affects his self-esteem. So every time he will try to please people to avoid rejection.
That is the end of our post. Let me know in the comments if you want me to give you ways to make your kids face their fears
