Oh no, it's dark! What do we do when we're scared at night?

A few things you really want to know about fears, part #1. Follow to stay updated with part #2: practical tools for calming anxiety.

It's clear that I don't want to sleep in a room with a monster that will eat me!

Fears are really natural and even good! They keep us safe in life. It's understandable why a child wouldn't want their mother to leave and would do everything in their power to avoid separation. I'm curious, but something is stopping me from checking if I'm really Superman through the window... and that's a good thing :)

Being afraid doesn't mean being a coward! It's important to separate behavior at the moment from one's character.

Yes, fear can certainly appear in Delay, regardless of its apparent cause.

Let's take Na'ama, a sweet two-year-old girl, for example. Two weeks ago, a friend's grandmother from daycare passed away, and only now has she started talking about death. Danny, a 3-year-old boy, had a dog jump on him a month ago, and although everything was fine during the day, it disturbs his sleep at night. In contrast, Naya responded on the same day to her father leaving her in the daycare in the morning without saying goodbye.

Every child reacts differently, with their own unique response and processing pace of fear. It's important to give them time and make sure they process their fear. Sometimes, it's possible to link past events to their impact on them today.

There are age-specific fears that are normal for children at different stages.

It's possible and advisable to learn about them and prepare for them even before they happen to your toddler. This makes things much easier! It's also important to prepare yourself for how you should respond.

Our parental response to the development of fear is crucial. We need to ask ourselves: Will it diminish or will we be able to overcome it?

There is a reason why we tend to be more fearful at night, and if you want to learn more about it, you can find more information here:

To a private session regarding your child's specific fears and developing an appropriate training plan - click here.

Part 2: Books for coping with fears - click here.

Good night and stay safe!