Smallish Magazine – August 2016 – ‘Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf’
It’s really common for children to have fears as they are growing up,” explains psychologist Dr Tamar Chansky, author of Freeing Tour Child from Anxiety. By exploring a few techniques, parents can make a positive difference in stopping common anxieties experienced by their children from developing into more pronounced phobias. Watching a parent freak out can have a major impact on a child, and even pass on fears from generation to generation in families.
When your children encounter these fears growing up, the article details how you should try not to push them to hard, label them and tease or mock these fears. Instead, see the world through their eyes, get creative and make the concept of facing these fears fun.
“Children may find it easier to express themselves through art or play,” says Dr Bijal Chheda-Varma, a practitioner psychologist and CBT therapist at Nightingale Hospital. Get your child to draw a picture of what frightens them, or read books where a spider (for example) is the hero.
Full article not available online
