“Fear Not” is one of my favorite quotes from the Bible. It is one of the toughest commands to live by as well.
When life becomes tough, when we are confronted with sickness or tragedies, we tend to panic. Jesus Christ reminds us that we can overcome our fear through faith. That we can call upon Jesus at any time for any reason and know firsthand the protective power of God. Fear in children is not something to be taken casually or made fun of. Their fear is real and it is strong. We all have fears and things that make us anxious and uneasy.
Three of my four children were terrified of dogs. I have no idea how or why this happened (my fourth, by the way, loves dogs and dreams of being a veterinarian.) After offending all dog owners and lovers we know, because everyone’s dog is the “best and sweetest dog,” we knew we needed to do something to help our kids.
Will’s fear had gotten so intense that he wouldn’t go trick-or-treating because so many dogs came to the door to greet the children. So, we took an odd approach and got a cat. Over the past year we have watched our three scared children go from being scared of Zoe, to tolerating her to actually loving her. And as cats seem to be able to do, she found our most frightened child, Hailey, and decided her bed was the one she was going to sleep on. Now Hailey loves Zoe and can even be seen snuggling with her at night.
There are many ways you can help your scared child with overcoming fear. Make your home a place where your child feels comfortable talking about her fears and worries, without giving up her privacy or letting her feel her space has been invaded. Home should be place where your child feels protected, respected and self-assured. Your role is to guide and support your scared child in such a way that they know they are safe and loved.
To help your frightened child deal with a specific fear or worry, you need to know what is really going on. Don’t dismiss or downplay their concerns. This shuts down the lines of communication and discourages your child from sharing their fears with you. When you are familiar with what’s going on in your child’s life, they are more likely to talk to you in an open and honest way. Share some of your own fears and anxieties (in a child appropriate way) so that your kids know you understand what they are feeling and that they are not alone.
Finally, ThumbPeople’s soaking CD’s are a wonderful way to calm your child before bedtime or during naptime, helping ease their anxiety. The CD’s recite Bible passages that will help encourage your frightened child and help foster a better night sleep while overcoming fear.
Along with reassuring kids and adults and helping them to overcoming fear, ThumbPeople’s children’s music and books help to cultivate a close parent-child relationship and build a foundation of trust where fear in children can be addressed and overcome.
Child development experts highly recommend ThumbPeople’s “Words of Healing,” “Words of Blessing” and “Words of Love” soaking music, motivating kid’s music, Thumbuddy children’s books and preschool curriculum activities.
