There’s a Monster under My Bed!
It seems to happen in every house with a toddler or young child. The child is sleeping through the night and after a story and “lights out,” you get some much needed “down time” before you go off to bed.
And then…all of a sudden…it begins. Your child begins to wake up, calling for you to tell you that there’s a monster under the bed, or in the closet, or outside the window. Or maybe he or she is suddenly afraid of the dark or is starting to experience night terrors – these can be very frightening experiences for parents.
Rest assured…you are not alone; most toddlers experience night fears at some point and you are in the perfect position to help your child to get over them.
Here are several suggestions that might help:
• Monitor your child’s television viewing. You may have the evening news on, which is full of negative stories, unaware that your child is also afraid of what he or she sees. Fires, shootings, robberies, and deaths can have a huge effect on a young child who doesn’t understand and who doesn’t have the language skills to communicate his or her fears. Even cartoons show some scary-looking characters!
• Don’t argue with your spouse in front of your child. Fighting can cause upset in your child that comes out at night, when all is quiet.
• Children’s books can also be scary. Think about Hansel and Gretel, with a witch who tries to bake them in the oven. Since children often can’t distinguish between fantasy and reality, they may even fear being taken in the night by an old, ugly witch!
• Use a nightlight in your child’s room or leave a hall light on and partially close the door so your child can sleep. This amount of light is reassuring and it isn’t enough to keep your child from falling asleep.
• Sit with your child for a few minutes and reassure him or her that everything is fine and that you are close by to protect him or her.
• Establish a regular bedtime routine and stick to it as much as possible (ex., bath, prayers, bedtime story, lullaby and a hug and kiss goodnight).
• Encourage your child to draw pictures or to talk about what he or she sees in the dark. This helps to put a “name” on the fear so you can discuss it.
• Avoid moving the child into your bed – this could be a very hard habit to break!
Just remember that this same scene is played out in many homes and that eventually they will grow out it.
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