How to Stop Kids from Being Afraid of Monsters
Search for monsters., Conquer nighttime together.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Search for monsters.
Ask your child where she thinks the monsters are — under the bed, in the closet, and so on.
Then look for the monsters together, and show your child they don’t exist.You don't want to just say, "There's nothing there; go to sleep," nor do you want to encourage the fear by pretending the monsters are there and you can remove them.
The best way to tackle the fear is to actually show your child that the monsters aren't real and they have nothing to fear. -
Step 2: Conquer nighttime together.
The darkness of the night allows imaginations to run wild.
Spend some time with your child in his room at night and find the shadows, scary shapes, or things that might be frightening from his perspective.
Then, with each find, slowly explain and show why it is not a monster.
If your child can physically determine what he sees is not a monster it will give him more comfort to go to sleep.Enter your child’s room at night, with the night lights or a lamp on low light on and look around the room together for monsters.
If your child claims to see a monster, show him that it is just a shadow of the chair, desk, or lamp.
Nothing to be afraid of.
Lie in bed together and listen for monster sounds.
Ask him to identify which sounds he is afraid of.
Whenever you hear it, tell him exactly what the sound is so if he hears it again, he will know what it is.
Get down on your knees so that you are eye level with your child.
See what he sees from his angle.
Then explain what he tells you finds scary.
If you can, change the location of things that can be mistaken for monsters, like furniture, or remove clothing from a hanger.
Do it while he watches and then show him how the environment changed.
Install night lights to provide some comfort so your child can see what is around him.
Detailed Guide
Ask your child where she thinks the monsters are — under the bed, in the closet, and so on.
Then look for the monsters together, and show your child they don’t exist.You don't want to just say, "There's nothing there; go to sleep," nor do you want to encourage the fear by pretending the monsters are there and you can remove them.
The best way to tackle the fear is to actually show your child that the monsters aren't real and they have nothing to fear.
The darkness of the night allows imaginations to run wild.
Spend some time with your child in his room at night and find the shadows, scary shapes, or things that might be frightening from his perspective.
Then, with each find, slowly explain and show why it is not a monster.
If your child can physically determine what he sees is not a monster it will give him more comfort to go to sleep.Enter your child’s room at night, with the night lights or a lamp on low light on and look around the room together for monsters.
If your child claims to see a monster, show him that it is just a shadow of the chair, desk, or lamp.
Nothing to be afraid of.
Lie in bed together and listen for monster sounds.
Ask him to identify which sounds he is afraid of.
Whenever you hear it, tell him exactly what the sound is so if he hears it again, he will know what it is.
Get down on your knees so that you are eye level with your child.
See what he sees from his angle.
Then explain what he tells you finds scary.
If you can, change the location of things that can be mistaken for monsters, like furniture, or remove clothing from a hanger.
Do it while he watches and then show him how the environment changed.
Install night lights to provide some comfort so your child can see what is around him.
About the Author
Lauren Coleman
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in home improvement and beyond.
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