Children, when they are in preschool age, often have attacks of fear. The reasons why children become afraid can be very different and varied, depending on various factors. Sometimes adults do not think that their words or actions can have an influence on the child and, in some cases, the fear of the reaction that parents may have to certain actions or behaviors, can have repercussions for a long time and sometimes even for several years in the lives of children.
The scientific explanation of why children are scared
The scientific explanation for this, according to Iván P. Pavlov , is that of a manifestation of the passive-defensive reflex of the person or a natural reflex of caution.
This passive-defensive reflex is especially pronounced in children. With age, the child gradually loses fear, but if the education he has received has been incorrect, the fear may intensify or remain.
Many tests and observations show that the same object can be something totally indifferent and harmless for some children, while for others, on the contrary, it arouses intense fear.
For example, a child is not afraid of the dark, but someone tells him:
“At night the bogeyman comes and will catch you.” The child, hearing that story, surely no longer wants to be left alone in a dark room if he is very young.
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The attitude of parents in the process
At all ages, and especially in preschool, many parents unnecessarily frighten children . Let’s take a simple example, a mother who goes with her son for a walk: “Don’t touch the dog that can bite you”, “Don’t go near the ditch”, “You are going to fall off the swing”, etc. Such intimidating warnings lead to uncertainty in the child’s upbringing and the emergence of shyness and fear. Being too attentive to the actions of children often does more harm than good, resulting in the child being a coward and being extremely careful about anything.
The cause of fear in preschool children can consequently arise from the attitudes of adults. Sometimes harsh words in anger, threats of possible consequences from an action, or the old myths that children behave well like that of the bogeyman, although they seem harmless, can cause fear and become a child nervous and shy.
As parents, we must also review the content of our children’s stories, avoiding that if they are very young they have too dark or pessimistic aspects. We must help them choose a story that gives them energy, confidence …, an optimistic vision of life.
Fear is one of the most moving experiences in childhood , and sometimes we parents cannot imagine how difficult it is to experience fear when we are little because we have already forgotten it. Children are not protected by the arguments of reason, will or resistance like adults, and fear sometimes absorbs them, making something very big that for our eyes goes completely unnoticed.
From preschool it is necessary to focus on this issue, preventing the appearance of these fears and fears, and cultivating in the little ones their resistance and their courage to face any situation.
