Explore how to help kids overcome fears, validating their emotions and encouraging their intuitive process. Discussing children's rationalized fears and loss of control. Addressing a child's fear of dirty feet and a woodpecker specter. Emphasizing the importance of parents supporting and comforting children through fears and concerns.
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Quick takeaways
Children's fears can be categorized into two types: irrational fears and fears resulting from exposure to inappropriate content.
Parents should respond to both types of fears by validating their child's feelings and providing a safe space for them to express their fear.
Deep dives
Understanding Children's Fears
Children's fears can be categorized into two types: irrational fears and fears resulting from exposure to inappropriate content. Parents should respond to both types of fears by validating their child's feelings and providing a safe space for them to express their fear.
Validating and Supporting Children's Fears
When children experience irrational fears, parents should acknowledge and validate their emotions without trying to fix or dismiss them. Encouraging healthy ways of processing fear, such as playing or talking about it, can also be beneficial. Parents should be a source of comfort and acceptance for their child, even when the child's fears seem irrational.
Understanding and Helping Children with Specific Fears
Parents should listen to and understand their child's specific fears, such as fear of dirty feet, fear of balloons, or fear of woodpeckers. By joining and empathizing with their child's experience, parents can create a safe environment for the child to express and process their fears. Offering choices that give the child a sense of control can also help them feel more empowered in overcoming their fears.
How can we help our kids overcome their fears? Most of us have the instinct to provide comfort with messages like "don't worry, you're safe, it will be alright." In this episode, Janet explains why our children often need more than our reassurance, even when their fears seem unreasonable or overblown. The key: validating and encouraging each child's intuitive process. Janet provides details by responding to notes from three families who have concerns about their children's seemingly irrational fears.
Learn more about Janet's "No Bad Kids Master Course" at: NoBadKidsCourse.com.