9 ، ״When the bogeyman just wo
away. When does that iear of the dark
?become a true phobia
Is your child afraid of the dark? For many
children, especially preschoolers, the
bogeyman is a very real threat and it can
make bedtime an unnerving experience.
One way to help our preschoolers cope is
by facing their monsters head on says psychologist Dr. John
Munn. "If we can learn to listen to our child's fears and help
them by asking a number of questions about the fear such as;
what do you think the mtfnster will do? Why do think it would
do that? Parents can be of value to their children because they
can show an attempt to understand what the child's concern
is, to show that mom and dad aren't afraid of it. In this way
the child has a chance to elaborate on the fear and work
things out In their head and figure out what they're really
afraid of."
Senior social worker Randy Keyes adds that sometimes just
shedding a little light on a situation can help preschoolers cope
with their fear of the dark. "When we're in the dark we don't
see as well and it is scarier. There is this sense that there is
something just out of sight and arm's reach. These fears,
when kids are quite young, need to be handled in a straight
forward way by putting a night light on, or a hall light on so
that there is a relief of the darkness."
If the night light doesn't seem to alleviate the problem then
you may want to help your child look at their fears under the
comfort of daylight. Once the sun is up and the lights are on,
talk to your child about what they are afraid of in their room
and what makes their room fee! comfortable. Keyes suggests
sider moving furniture, even· comfortable with their
".surroundings will have less fear of the dark