How to Help Your Children Manage Their Fears

Whether you were afraid of monsters or whether going to the doctors was your worst nightmare, everyone had something they were scared of as a child. There are usually one or two things that make even the most invincible of children feel nervous – and that is completely natural. You are perhaps much more uncertain of the world when you are young, and are experiencing many things for the first time, which can elevate feelings of fear and worry.

If you have children who are experiencing these issues, then don’t worry! There is help at hand!Take a look at these top tips to help your little cherubs overcome the worst of their fears.

Listen to Their Worries

The first step is to actively listen to your children and take their what they say seriously. Sure, you might know there is nothing to worry about, but they clearly don’t and dismissing them can cause them to shut down and feel more unsafe. Make sure to listen to their concerns without judgment and try your best to understand their perspective. When you encourage your children to express themselves and validate their feelings, you are creating a safe space for them which is essential in helping them overcome any fears they might have.

Offer Reassurance

Whether you understand their fears or not, it is important to reassure them that they are safe and protected. Depending on the nature of the fear, you might also want to let them know that they are protected by you, or discuss why whatever their afraid of is unlikely to happen.It is also important to let them know that fear is a normal emotion that everyone experiences, and that it can be overcome.

Provide a Safe Environment

Knowing they can retreat to a place they feel safe will go a long way to helping reduce your child’s fears, and there are many ways you can go about doing this. First and foremost, make sure your home is secure and peaceful, and that it is somewhere they can feel themselves. Secondly, if their fears are with the outside world, such as being afraid of the doctors or the dentist, there are steps you can take to help make sure they are more comfortable. Going to services who specialise in children can make the world of difference to alleviating fear. For example, try a pediatric dentist Asheville if your little one is afraid of the dentist, as they know how to work with children while providing the healthcare they need.

Teach Them Coping Skills

Help your children to help themselves by developing coping skills to manage their fears. These skills will also serve them for the rest of their lives and make a massive difference to how they navigate life.

Some of these skills can include deep breathing exercises, positive affirmations, and visualization techniques.If you can teach them to identify their thoughts and feelings, and to replace negative thoughts with positive ones, this is a skill that can be transferred into many situations.

Of course, if the fears are of a dysfunctional level, it is best to get a professional involved so they can get the right help.