Many children fear darkness. They develop a darkness phobia. Children in such times of fear, want the security and warmth of their parents. Parents should be supportive and caring towards such children. They should work towards allaying the fears.
Anooj lay in bed. Darkness engulfed him. He hated sleeping in his own room at night. Ghosts popped out from every corner and the wind howled. Anooj yelled for his mom. His mom came running inside. He cried and cried and told his mom that he was afraid of the dark and wanted to sleep with her. His mom hugged him and wondered what she could do to help him get over his fear.
Is it normal for your children to be afraid of the dark?
Many children are afraid of the dark. Children have wild imaginations and their imaginations become even wilder in the dark. Our society is built on the idea that the dark is associated with evil and frightening things. Movies, TV shows and other social activities help to tell your child in the dark that scary things will happen. In the dark, children feel alone and vulnerable and unprotected. They come to the conclusion that if anything happens to them in the dark, you as a parent, in another room, will not be able to help him.
How you can help
The most important thing is to comfort your child and let him know that he is safe. Make him feel better and tell him there is nothing to be afraid of in the dark. Try reading to him at night or singing him a song. Making him laugh before going to bed might help too. There are also some other things you can do. You do not have to train your child to sleep in total darkness. Thus, you can put a nightlight inside your child's bedroom. This will help your child to see that his room is absolutely safe. Being able to see everything perfectly, in the dark, will help him to see what actually is in his room and not imagine things. Your child may also be afraid of shadows because they may look like monsters and that is why a nightlight will help to ease your child's fear. Having a nightlight will help him adjust to the darkness and after a while he will not even need a nightlight.
Being afraid of the dark is a common phobia for many children. In order to help your child through this, you must be supportive and caring. It may not seem a very big thing to you, but try to put yourself in your child's shoes. Do not yell at him for being afraid of the dark. Understand him, love him and help him get rid of his fear!
