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OrthodoxChristianity.net > Moderated Forums > Orthodox Family Forum > Topic: Conquering fears in kids
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EofK
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« on: July 21, 2010, 01:34:41 PM »
After a run in with a cloud of Japanese beetles my 2 1/2 year old daughter has become petrified when she sees a bug, a spot that looks like a bug, or feels anything lightly brush against her.  It's bad enough that she screams, cries, and I just about can't budge her from where she's standing unless I carry her.  Hopefully this is just a phase but, in the meantime, is there anything I can do to help ease her fear?
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« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2010, 03:31:18 PM »
Quote from: EofK on July 21, 2010, 01:34:41 PM
After a run in with a cloud of Japanese beetles my 2 1/2 year old daughter has become petrified when she sees a bug, a spot that looks like a bug, or feels anything lightly brush against her.  It's bad enough that she screams, cries, and I just about can't budge her from where she's standing unless I carry her.  Hopefully this is just a phase but, in the meantime, is there anything I can do to help ease her fear?
Besides looking creepy, Japanese bettles don't bite, do they?  If she wasn't bitten, but just creeped out, point that out, that there isn't any danger.

Any bugs she liked, like lady bugs, fire flies, ants? butterlies?  that she can look at a while?
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« Reply #2 on: July 21, 2010, 04:07:54 PM »

Fireflies are cool! 

They are easy to catch...don't bite...or spread any diseases.  You could catch a few and leave them in a jar in her room.  She might fall in love with the bugs as they blink at her all night.

You could also try finding some kid books, movies, etc. featuring bugs.

I would just do it secretly and not make a big deal out of the whole bug thing.  Maybe she'll eventually forget she was scared of them.

(You might want to confer with Quinault.  I believe she has a little boy who is fascinated with spiders - Reply #30 - http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php/topic,21432.msg325831.html#msg325831)

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What about frogs? I like frogs!
« Reply #3 on: July 21, 2010, 05:46:01 PM »
I would teach her about insects and what they do, draw pictures of insects and rent nature videos on them. Arthropodology can be pretty fascinating.
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EofK
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« Reply #4 on: July 22, 2010, 10:41:44 AM »
Thanks for the advice!  I did buy her some flash cards with different insects and she loves looking at them. 

Isa, nope, the Japanese beetle doesn't sting or bite but they do buzz very loudly and have no concept of personal space so poor Cait was scared that they kept buzzing in her face and landing on her.  They do have kind of spindly, stickery legs that just feel creepy when they touch the skin so that's part of her fear.

I'll try the bug in a jar idea, thanks!  Maybe with some separation she can look at it and not worry that it'll "get her."  We'll try to rent A Bug's Life, too.  Quinault, did you say your husband had sent a spider in a glass square to your son?  I might look around for that too.
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« Reply #5 on: August 09, 2010, 10:06:14 AM »
Courage may be taught as a child is taught to speak - Euripides

As far as the bug thing goes, I cannot help you.  Bugs scare the heck out of me.
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