The ability to feel fear is something inherent to the human being and, in general, most of the fears that we feel have been forged in the first years of childhood , although we can no longer remember what was the moment and why.
Although not necessarily all people have to suffer them, the fact of doing so does not imply that they have to be rational fears. We can become afraid of a supposed monster in the closet when there is really no certainty that can give wings to this type of fear and not feel it when we bathe on the beach, when this type of activity can entail a series of risks real and rational .
Sensitivity is decisive when it comes to acquiring and developing fears, since sensitive children will be more vulnerable and, therefore, more likely to suffer from them and not know how to combat them. The attitude of the parents will also be fundamental when it comes to developing fears, which means that if we are afraid of spiders or when we get into the water, children will receive the message that it is normal to be afraid of such things. , developing it also with almost all probability. But the truth is that there are certain fears for which we have no responsibility since they are evolutionary fears , and are part of the normal development of childhood.
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Most common fears in early childhood
- First six months : flashes, more or less intense noises, tactile stimuli, sudden stimuli …
- From six months to a year : unknown and strange people, fear of losing the love of mom and dad, of physical and emotional separation …
- Around the year : separation from parents, strangers, going to the doctor, getting punctures …
- Around two years : fear of separation from parents, which can be maintained even at this stage, grief at being left alone in the nursery, fear of loud noises such as drills, vacuum cleaners or trucks, or darkness.
- Around three or four years : fear of the dark, loud noises, animals …
These fears are normal and Darwin already spoke, at the time, about the disposition (as part of evolutionary development) to certain types of fear. The important thing is that these fears do not become “guests” of our children , becoming more and more ingrained and more stable in their minds, turning into panic disorders or phobias .
The observation and application of certain parameters of tranquility and understanding by parents will allow children to get rid of them normally. Fears change, disappear and reappear … Maintaining normality, these evolutionary fears will disappear naturally.
