Monsters Under the Bed and Other Childhood Fears: Helping Your Child Overcome Anxieties, Fears, and Phobias [Paperback]

A step-by-step manual designed to help parents cope with children's fears; this book discusses common fears, how to respond to childhood anxieties, and other ways to deal with frightened children.Robyn Freedman Spizman is the author and coauthor of numerous parenting, educational, and how-to books. A motivational speaker, she has lectured to thousands about balancing family and work and getting organized. She has appeared on radio and television, including the Today show, CNN's Parenting Today, the Discovery Channel, CNBC, and Home Matters.1
UNDERSTANDING AND RESPONDING TO YOUR CHILD’S FEAR
 
What childhood fears are normal? Why do some fears come and go? What’s the best way to respond to your child’s fears?
 
When your child is scared all he wants to do is get away from the situation. He doesn’t know why his heart is pounding or his legs feel so funny; he just knows he doesn’t like the sensations. He certainly doesn’t realize that the more he avoids his fear, the more it’s likely to grow.
 
The better you understand childhood fears, the better prepared you’ll be to respond to your child when he’s frightened.
 
Understanding Childhood Fear
 
1. Childhood is a time of many fears. Numerous research studies have found that between the ages of two and six children have more than four fears, while between the ages of six and twelve they experience an average of seven different fears. It’s fair to say that your child is as likely as any other youngster to be frightened by animals, scared of heights, and terrified of separating from you. If you’re buying your three-year-old a night light, you are not alone. And if your child hates it whenló4