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Informationen zum Autor Robyn Freedman Spizman is the author and coauthor of numerous parenting, educational, and how-to books. A motivational speaker, she has lectured to thousands about balancing family and work and getting organized. She has appeared on radio and television, including the Today show, CNN's Parenting Today , the Discovery Channel, CNBC, and Home Matters . Klappentext A step-by-step manual designed to help parents cope with children's fears; this book discusses common fears, how to respond to childhood anxieties, and other ways to deal with frightened children.1 UNDERSTANDING AND RESPONDING TO YOUR CHILD’S FEAR What childhood fears are normal? Why do some fears come and go? What’s the best way to respond to your child’s fears? When your child is scared all he wants to do is get away from the situation. He doesn’t know why his heart is pounding or his legs feel so funny; he just knows he doesn’t like the sensations. He certainly doesn’t realize that the more he avoids his fear, the more it’s likely to grow. The better you understand childhood fears, the better prepared you’ll be to respond to your child when he’s frightened. Understanding Childhood Fear 1. Childhood is a time of many fears. Numerous research studies have found that between the ages of two and six children have more than four fears, while between the ages of six and twelve they experience an average of seven different fears. It’s fair to say that your child is as likely as any other youngster to be frightened by animals, scared of heights, and terrified of separating from you. If you’re buying your three-year-old a night light, you are not alone. And if your child hates it when you leave him with even the best baby-sitter in town, other parents can commiserate. Your son might have as many fears as your daughter, but he won’t admit it publicly—the research commonly concludes that girls have more fears than boys. Very early in life boys appear to be subject to male stereotyping and reluctant to admit they are less than macho. Boys may have more fears about their future, reflecting increased performance pressures that society may place on males, but as roles in society change, girls, too, may feel increased performance anxiety. The hopeful news is you can expect your child’s fears to decrease with age. Researchers have found that although children experience a number of significant fears during childhood, the number of children reporting fears decreases by age eleven. Be prepared, though, for fear to raise its head again in preadolescence. Studies indicate that the number of fears reported spikes for preteens and then decreases in adolescence. However, don’t assume that adolescents don’t have fears. Fears of personal safety and imaginary creatures might decrease, but school and social fears can intensify. Teens are especially traumatized by any type of public embarrassment. Also, adolescents who suppressed childhood fears may suddenly manifest anxiety under stress or when confronted with a new situation. A long-hidden fear of heights may show up on a trip to an amusement park or even at the neighborhood swimming pool. So don’t presume that your nonchalant teenager is necessarily fear-free no matter how confident he seems. 2. Most fears are developmental. Fears of falling and loud noises are the only fears children have at birth. The emergence of other common fears parallels a child’s increasing awareness of the world around him. Parents often comment on how freely infants can be passed from one set of arms to another. Before the age of five or six months, your baby is likely to coo and smile at almost any face that is twelve to twenty inches in front of her. Once she learns to recognize familiar faces, she may develop a fear of strangers. Early childhood fears center on your child’s environment. That’s the world he kn...
