Trying to rationalize a fear or convince a child they shouldn’t be afraid, in the moment, is never a successful strategy. When a child feels fear, his body is experiencing a stress response. In this “I’m in danger” state, the logical-thinking part of the brain turns off so that the brain can focus its energy on survival. This means that when your child is in fear mode, reasoning with them will not deliver a sense of safety. What will help your child feel safe is sensing your presence; it’s the aloneness in the fear, after all, that’s the scariest part. In other words, kids need less logic,
...more
