Children may exhibit different behaviors specific to different periods.
In this article, we wanted to share the processes of separating children's rooms, their night fears and sleep patterns.
Children need a routine since they are born. Thanks to this order, they can predict successive situations and be more prepared.
The situation we call order does not mean having a certain sleep time and being on time. It is an orderly progression of events, one after the other, from the moment he wakes up. For example, putting on pajamas, playing hand games, reading fairy tales and singing lullabies before falling asleep... If this routine is applied regularly for the transition to sleep, the child will learn these connections after a while and fall asleep much more easily. This order should be established in babies starting from 6 months and should be continued throughout childhood.
Separating beds and separating rooms in children are different processes. While babies can sleep in different beds after 40 days, being in the same room is a comforting situation for the mother. As of 6 months, babies can stay in different rooms.
After the age of 1, it is more difficult to separate rooms and beds. The child who becomes conscious and grows up may show great resistance to this situation. He may cry and come to his mother. During this process, it would be right to be with the child, spend time together until he/she falls asleep, and gradually separate the child.
At this point, a different process may occur for each family; as family arrangements are different, the adaptation process will proceed differently.
Developing and growing children may have different fears and concerns at every age. There is a period around the age of 4 when children experience night fear. During this period, they may be afraid of the dark, have scary dreams at night and want to come to their parents. It is normal to observe these behaviors along with curiosity about abstract concepts in the developing and maturing child's brain. During this process, parents should pay attention to the points below;
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You need to build trust in the child that you understand him and that he can get help from you to relieve his fears. For this reason, tell your child who comes to you with sentences like 'Mom, I'm afraid of the dark, there's a monster outside under my bed.' It would be correct to answer by saying 'I'm with you, you don't need to be afraid, come on, let's talk.' You should not say, "There is nothing to be afraid of, you don't need to be afraid.".
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It is necessary to let the child talk about the things he is afraid of and visualize them. You can choose some toys and say, let these toys protect you, let's put them at the head of your bed, let's put them at the entrance of the door.
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It is necessary to help him draw the things he is afraid of or create a fairy tale about them.
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To your child who says 'I'm afraid of monsters', say 'Imagine you're wearing a knight costume too. When you meet the beast on a horse, I'm sure he will be afraid of you. By responding like ', you will reflect that you understand him and find a solution through thought.
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Reading books about night fears with your child will be very useful. Below you can find books you can read on this subject.
-İnci Is Not Afraid of the Dark
-Who is Afraid of the Dark?
-Teo's Night Fear Book
It would be appropriate to seek psychological support for your child, who has night fears that last for a long time, wakes up frequently and screaming, cannot concentrate during the day because he cannot get enough sleep, and is negatively affected by the situation.
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