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Home › Articles › Your Toddlers › Fun, Not Fear!

Fun, Not Fear!

Helping Children Cope With Fears Through Stories and Crafts

By Mike Anderson

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"Hey, look!" says Anna. The storm had stopped.

"Let's go over to my house," says Audra. "We can play music for my sisters. They'll love it!"

And that's what they did.

Lots of things are scary to young children: the dark, thunder, monsters under the bed. Young children are just learning their way around the big world they have been thrust into. Oftentimes they feel overwhelmed and rather small and helpless.

Helping children learn to cope with fear is what's important, say Robin F. Goodman, a clinical psychologist, and Anita Gurian, clinical assistant professor at NYU School of Medicine. "As children learn how to master fears, they become more competent in dealing with other life challenges and new situations," they say. 

In the story, Anna's mother did several things correctly:

  • She comforted her daughter and didn't tell her that her fears were silly.
  • She offered some facts about the thunder and lightning by counting how far away the storm was and then making the distance understandable. Eight miles can be as unfathomable to a young child as a light-year can be to an adult.
  • The mother also gave Anna something to do as a distraction – making music. Making homemade instruments can be a great, though noisy, way to pass a cooped-up-in-the-house afternoon.

There is an endless supply of easy-to-make instruments. Here are the ones Anna and Audra used:

 

Drum:
Any type of container will work, but one that can be decorated is best. A favorite is a plastic coffee can because it can be wrapped with pre-decorated paper. Leave the lid on as the drumhead. A pencil, stick or ruler makes a great beater.

 


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