Can You Help Your Kids Overcome Their Fears?

Everyone has phobias, but adults have found ways to deal with these fears, whether by overcoming them or avoiding them altogether. However, kids do not have the worldly experience to do this, and this can have a severe impact on their personal development. 

This isn’t something you should look at negatively, though. It is simply because they have not had the same amount of time as you to work out how to cope with these fears. As a parent, you can help them cope with and overcome them, but how? 

Take It Seriously 

The last thing you want to do is laugh at your child’s fears, as that will make them feel silly and embarrassed, and it doesn’t do them any good. Failing to take phobias seriously is a mistake that many people make, especially if they do not share these fears themselves. 

Therefore, if your child shows fear about something, you need to be there to support them and treat it as legitimate without making things worse (especially if you react as badly as they do). Showing that you take their fear seriously gives it legitimacy, and this is the first step towards helping them overcome their fears. 

Talk About It 

There are many ways to talk about difficult topics with your kids, and you should take a similar approach when helping them overcome their fears. Often kids cannot describe why they are scared. They just are. You need to show them that you are happy to listen to them, as it will allow you to gain a better understanding of their fear, and this will help you pick the correct approach when they want to overcome it. 

Write Down What Scares Them 

There are many benefits of writing things down, especially when you or your child are trying to work through things. Getting thoughts and feelings onto paper makes these feelings more real, and this can provide a new perspective that avoids the cluttered process of fears rolling around in their head. 

When you encourage your child to write down what they are scared of and why they can gain a better view of the issue. If all goes well, they might see that their fear is not as bad as they first imagined, which will give them the confidence to face it. 

Look for Solutions Together 

As everyone is different, there is no all-in-one solution for overcoming fears. Instead, you can look for solutions together to get an idea of what works best. If your child is scared of dogs, parents have had success by getting a dog and letting them raise it, although you’ll need to make sure you are choosing the right pet for their age and ability. 

You can also ask how they want to overcome the fear, and their answers may surprise you. While some kids will tell you they don’t want to overcome it at all, others may suggest facing it and seeing how things go. It may not work, but it shows they are dedicated to improving themselves, which is always something to celebrate. 

Show Them It’s Not So Bad 

If they want to face the fear, you can go with them and prove to them that the fear is never as bad as they first believe. However, it is easier to do this with some fears than others. If your child is scared of the water, consider going with them to swimming classes for kids and asking the instructor if you can join them to provide moral support. If they are scared of heights, be the one to show them that heights are only bad if they are reckless. 

Break The Fear Down 

It is always intimidating to face something in one go, whether it’s cleaning the house, doing the dishes, or running a marathon. This is no way to approach fears, so you will need to help your child break the fear down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Suppose they are scared of public speaking, start small by asking them to present to a few people that they know. As they become more confident with this, they can increase their audience size until they feel comfortable with a large group. 

No Fear 

It can be difficult to truly get over fears and phobias, and even if your kids are not as affected, they may still feel anxious or have trepidation when they encounter a spider or heights. However, you can give them fantastic tools that will allow them to cope with their fears so that they can live their life as normally as possible.