How to Help Children Handle Fears and Anxieties

Regardless of who or what we are, we all have fears. In fact, even the strongest man has fears. It is the way we overcome our fears that shape us into the person that we are now. For young children, fear, if not dealt with properly, can instill negative values to children. Although children fear a lot of things, it is the role of parents to teach their children to how to deal with their fears so that they will be able to live normal and healthy lives.

Young children have a lot of fears because they are still on the process of organizing the information that they perceive around them. Most of the time, they do not distinguish what’s real from what is fictional. Moreover, their young experiences tell them which things they should fear and which are okay. On the other hand, they also associate a particular thing to underlying fears. For instance, children often fear nighttime because of separation anxiety. They know that when nighttime comes, they will be forced to sleep on their own in the dark.

For this reason, it is crucial for parents to be able to know how to help children who have fears and anxieties. As mentioned earlier, fears and anxieties are normal emotions. What makes them unusual is that if kids do not develop their own way of resolving them.  It is important for parents to acknowledge what makes their children fearful and anxious.

As parents, it is important to stay with children and talk them through their fears. It is also crucial that you share your confidence in them. Children, although frail, have the ability to handle and overcome their fears if they are properly guided by their parents. If your child believes that you are confident with his or her abilities to resolve her fears, then they will be able to feel more confident and empowered. Remember the passage of Psalm 27:1 (NKJV) that says “the Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Do not laugh at your children even if you think that the source of their fears is ludicrous. Laughing belittles your children and you have to remember that you were once a child too. Show your love to your child as this is very important in boosting his or her confidence. As parents, you have to remember that “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NLT)

For young children, it is important that you have to be always there in order to guide them. You have an integral role in helping your children recover from their fears and anxieties. Try to be patient with them and show them that you love them. It also helps if you teach your children to also pray every night before going to bed time. Let them feel that with their prayers, they are protected by God from everything evil.