Fear is a natural reaction of living things when they feel threatened by any event, object, situation or person. Fears may have various causes, and individuals' reactions to these situations differ from each other. While in some cases fear causes instant reactions, in other cases these fears can turn into phobias. Fears may bring anxiety and uneasiness, and as a result, some inconsistencies may occur in the person's behavior.
An individual may experience the feeling of fear throughout his life, including childhood. There are different reasons why fears occur in childhood. The fears experienced by children vary depending on the child's development and age. The earliest fear experienced is separation anxiety from the caregiver. It can be seen in babies between 10 and 18 months of age. It is a healthy and normal condition as long as it is not experienced at an extreme level. If this state of anxiety is experienced at an extreme level and persists for at least 4 weeks in children, it indicates separation anxiety disorder. This disorder may cause low motivation and functionality in school-age children. In children between the ages of 2 and 4, fear and anxiety about sudden situations, that is, situations that have not been experienced before and are unexpected by the child, can be mentioned. Preschool children may experience fear and anxiety about both abstract and concrete events. In addition to abstract fears such as darkness, monsters and ghosts, they may also be afraid of concrete events such as thunder and animals. In addition, fears such as sleeping alone in the dark or being alone in a social environment can also be seen in children in the 5-6 age group.
The diversity of fears depends on the child's personality, age, parents' attitudes towards the child, and the social environment in which the child lives. It may vary depending on the environment and the socioeconomic level of the family. The biggest factor in the formation of fears and anxiety are environmental factors. For example, although the child has no fear of dogs, he may start to be afraid of dogs after seeing them attack a person on the street. This is also valid for fear and anxiety about abstract concepts; parents do this to their children in order to change their undesirable behavior. Saying that "bogeymen" will come if the moon continues, causes the child to fear objects that he cannot identify.
As children get older, their fears change along with their changing social environments. The fears of children starting school are more realistic and more personal than the fears that emerged at previous ages. Fear of failing in classes and exams may be observed.
Parents need support so that the fears that arise in childhood do not intensify and become a phobia and the child can overcome this in a healthy way. The first thing parents need to do is to understand the child's fears and listen to him. You should not make fun of the child's fears or laugh at his fear. Let the child describe his fear. In order for the child to get used to the object or situation he is afraid of, you can first let him stay away from it for a while, and then gradually approach him. The child can sit down and talk about the feared object or situation, and logical reasons can be presented to him/her. For example, children with night fears can be taught different rituals before going to sleep. Activities such as brushing your teeth, reading a book or drinking milk before going to bed can be given as examples of these rituals. Relaxation activities can be done together. First, the child is made aware of where and to what extent he feels this emotion in his body when he is afraid. Afterwards, breathing exercises can be done with the child to help the child relax. Thus, every time the child feels fear, he can remember these exercises he did with the parent, relax himself and reduce his fear level. You can draw the object your child is afraid of with your child and then make the picture funnier. You can study relevant story and activity books appropriate to your age. Parents should determine the severity of the child's fears and whether they are normal for their age, and if they observe an extreme situation, they should definitely consult a specialist.
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