HilaryGrace
13-12-2010, 00:37
I have always been afraid of the dark even now as an adult I have to have certain lights on in the house, I need to have the sheet over my head and some nights I find myself having to wait until exactly 12.01am to go to bed.
I am finding now that my 3 year old daughter is exhibiting some of the same symptoms I did when I was little. She hates being left on her own a room at night, any little noise frightens her, even with a night light on and quiet often she sleeps with her fingers in her ears.
I have always been very careful not to show any of my fears around her but I guess she and I connect to well and she can read me like a book. Interestingly she only ever says that frogs, crabs or monsters are coming to get her. I don't say anything along the lines of, I'll check there are no monsters under your bed or whatever but I do tell her it is OK and that nothing can hurt her. If she hears a noise I name it for her, it helps me too. We use night lights, sleep aids, prayers, stories about happy things etc but nothing seems to work for her. I even used Elizabeth Pantley's idea of a 'magic' or 'mummy' bracelet to help her feel a bit more secure. Being an adult I am able to use my faith to help me calm down and rationalise things but I am at a loss as to what to do for Miss 3, particularly when I only started being able to combat my own fear in my adult years.
What I am wondering is if anyone else has experienced something similar or can suggest a method of action. Should I see my GP or seek out a Peadiatrician? I use a completely different method of parenting to my parents and I even co-sleep so I wonder what the one thing we both are doing 'wrong' is. My parents are by no means afraid of the dark. Any help would be much appreciated.
I am finding now that my 3 year old daughter is exhibiting some of the same symptoms I did when I was little. She hates being left on her own a room at night, any little noise frightens her, even with a night light on and quiet often she sleeps with her fingers in her ears.
I have always been very careful not to show any of my fears around her but I guess she and I connect to well and she can read me like a book. Interestingly she only ever says that frogs, crabs or monsters are coming to get her. I don't say anything along the lines of, I'll check there are no monsters under your bed or whatever but I do tell her it is OK and that nothing can hurt her. If she hears a noise I name it for her, it helps me too. We use night lights, sleep aids, prayers, stories about happy things etc but nothing seems to work for her. I even used Elizabeth Pantley's idea of a 'magic' or 'mummy' bracelet to help her feel a bit more secure. Being an adult I am able to use my faith to help me calm down and rationalise things but I am at a loss as to what to do for Miss 3, particularly when I only started being able to combat my own fear in my adult years.
What I am wondering is if anyone else has experienced something similar or can suggest a method of action. Should I see my GP or seek out a Peadiatrician? I use a completely different method of parenting to my parents and I even co-sleep so I wonder what the one thing we both are doing 'wrong' is. My parents are by no means afraid of the dark. Any help would be much appreciated.