BEFORE WE GET STARTED, WE WANT TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNER OF DR. GARY CHAPMAN’S AND ARLENE PELLICANE’S NEW BOOK, GROWING UP SOCIAL!
DRUM ROLL PLEASE…. AND THE WINNER IS – Arianne de la Torre!
Arianne de la Torre, you’ll be receiving an email from The M.O.M. Initiative today! CONGRATULATIONS!
————————————————————
S
Supposedly a family of bears lives in my daughter’s closet. People-eating bears, I’m told. And when the bears take the night off, a monster steps in. Sometimes an alligator.
Funny, but none of these critters show up when the sun is shining. (Silly Mom, bears are nocturnal. So are alligators. Sometimes I see a monster first thing in the morning—in my mirror, before I put makeup on—but she’s not hanging out in the kids’ closet unless she’s digging for a lost gym shoe.)
Point is, my four-year-old is afraid of the dark. Sweet child. Not only does this fear cause heartache for both of us, but it also robs her precious sleep—and my precious energy, let’s just be honest.
So over the past couple years I’ve developed three effective tricks for helping my daughter overcome her fear of the dark. She still needs reassurance most nights, but all I have to do is whip out one of these tricks and my little one is comforted—and soon snoozing. In other words, these tricks actually work!
If your kiddos are afraid of the dark, try one of these ideas. I hope they’ll help to ease the bedtime battle in your house, too.
1. Spray for monsters. Or bears or alligators or whatever the intruders might be. Seriously. Get an empty spray bottle, or just use your hands shaped like a squirt gun, then aim for the dark corners where your child is pointing to the beast. Make “chhh, chhh” sound effects while you spray your magic potion all over those nasty critters. Yes, it seems goofy, but to your child the imagined monsters are very real. We can help soothe their fears by entering into their fantasy world and empowering them.
2. Give them mommy powers. Speaking of empowering . . . I came up with this trick on the fly one night, out of total desperation, and now my girls ask for it regularly. If your child is afraid to separate from you at night and begs you to stay in the room—oh, do try to stay, at least sometimes; we’ll never get these moments back. But when you have to dodge the room, infuse your child with “mommy powers” before you go.
What are mommy powers? They’re Mommy’s presence, protection and security, doled out like superhero juice. At first I gave mommy powers to a favorite stuffed animal. (“Mommy can’t stay tonight, but I will give Mr. Monkey my mommy powers so when you snuggle with him, it’s just like snuggling with me!”) I grabbed the plush toy, squeezed him, spun him into the air a few times, made funny trilling sounds with my tongue and declared him Mommy Power Monkey! Now my girls ask me to give them mommy powers. So I lavish them with exaggerated hugs, kisses, and taps on the head—fueling my kids with the essence of the lady who makes them feel safe. Then, oddly enough, they do.
3. Remind them God made the dark. This is key for both toddlers and older kids. From an early age, our children can understand this simple truth: Genesis tells us that God created the light and the dark, and he called them both good (Genesis 1:3–5, 31). We don’t need to be afraid of the dark because God made it, he says it’s a good thing, and he is watching over us.
Sweet dreams, everybody. May your kiddos sleep in peace, and may your closets be cleansed of all invisible sharp-toothed creatures.
What tricks have you used to ease your child’s fear of the dark? Frazzled mommies want to know!
CLICK HERE to request to join our FACEBOOK GROUP and CONTINUE the CONVERSATION!
- Ch…ch…ch…CHANGES Are Coming in 2017 for TMI - December 27, 2016
- What New Thing Are You Ready to See God Do in Your Life in 2017? - December 26, 2016
- Heaviness and Newness - December 23, 2016
