Thursday 3 October 2013

Mummy there is a monster under my bed!


nightmares and night terrors in children kids and toddlers tips
I never thought In a million years that Liam would be the type of child to say there is a monster under his bed but the last three nights after giving the boys there bath I turn the light off I hear "Mummy mummy" it gets louder "Mummy Mummy" and every night the same thing from Liam "mummy there is a monster under my bed" Luckily a while ago I bought him a chuggington Torch, so I get him out of bed, we shine the light under the bed and I show him and tell him there is no such thing.
Imagination or Anxiety in the bravest children Can be really common and be a really real fear for them, I mean we all know there is no such thing as a monster but the fear for a child whom doesn't know that monsters are not really can be really frightening.

Starting to have fears at three and above is a sign that Liam is going through a new development stage,  Children at this age are not able tell the difference between real and pretend. In addition, preschool age (3-6) children are learning there are real things in their world that can hurt them.

With Liam spending time at school, He of course is joining in with lots of different role playing and pretend play learning about dragons, cops and robbers, monsters I think it is difficult to turn this sort of imagination off when he comes home and he is trying to settle down for bed. It is important to remember as a parent that this sort of fear is not going to go away over night it will end when they move into a different stage of development. There are a few things we can do as parents to try and alleviate this fear from them.

  • Try and keep the evenings peaceful if possible
  • Stick to a good bedtime routine
  • If you read a bedtime story make sure it has no monsters or scary characters in it
  • reassure you child that monsters do not exist
  • Make sure if they have a comforter like a teddy or a blanket it is nearby
  • buy a night light or give them a torch they can use if they get frightened in the night
  • leave the bedroom door slightly open it makes them feel closer to mummy or daddy
  • You could maybe even try a home made spray/ monster mist to spray under the bed  maybe add a little lavender to it so they become relaxed
This stage wont last forever as with all phases and stages children go through. Its important to remember though this fear to children is really real, so to try and ensure children settle at night time make things as comfortable as possible for them. See what works for them and support them as necessary.

What were your fears as a child or what are you frightened of now? also can you think of anything that would help ease a bedtime routine? I would love to hear your thoughts.

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2 comments

  1. Aww poor little fella...Hope he gets over his fears soon!!
    I still do a running jump into bed when it's dark convinced there's something under the bed....lol

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  2. Love the monster mist idea - how creative! Think I will put chamomile essential oil in mine, it really helps with sleep.

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