Kids waking up because they are scared of the dark....

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  • sponger
    sponger Posts: 3,159
    Get her a dog or a cat or a goldfish or something that "has been trained in attacking boogie men." Be sure to adopt, not buy.
    reigning champion

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  • dontloseyourheat
    dontloseyourheat Posts: 483
    Did you notice what set off the behavior? Perhaps there is a tv show or a book they read at preschool that scared her?
    I remember seeing Unsolved Mysteries when I was about 5 or 6 and being afraid of the dark after it.
    "Don't lose your inner heat...ever" - EV 5/13/06
  • upina2001
    upina2001 Indiana Posts: 764
    Derrick wrote:
    Well, if it's worth $50 bucks to you, you could buy a REALLY cool toy she's wanted and leave it (unopened) on the kitchen table.

    - "OH WOW, is this for me? I can't wait to open it!"
    - "Well, that's your present for when you have a tear-free bedtime with no lights and door shut."

    If she regresses after one night of no issues (and subsequently wins the toy), just take the toy away and gently remind her the requirements for that toy.

    Some call it bribery, I call it rewarding positive behaviour.

    --- Do distinguish between a bad dream and simply being a brat over the bedroom conditions. If they were ligitimately asleep and wake up due to a bad dream, that's ok...no need to be a hardass there.

    But as for the bratty stuff, I'd say be a hardass. Just say the rules of the house are that everyone sleeps with the door shut and lights out. Tell her when she grows up and has a place of her own she can make her own rules.



    Good idea....too bad we just used bribery for getting rid of her pacifer. ($200 Dora 4-Wheeler.) We had to make up the idea of a paci-fairy. (she's the tooth fairy's cousin.) :)


    JaneNY: If she says she's scared, believe her. If its not true it doesn't matter because she needs to be with you for some reason so fill that need. Needs that are met will go away; needs that remain unmet hang around.
    good point.

    GreenTeaDisease: Maybe if you can work on getting her to tell you exactly what she's afraid of, you can "solve" it together.
    I hope so!!! THANKS!!


    dontloseyourheat Did you notice what set off the behavior? Perhaps there is a tv show or a book they read at preschool that scared her?
    I remember seeing Unsolved Mysteries when I was about 5 or 6 and being afraid of the dark after it. ----no, nothing really freaks her out. We do have a woods behind us and occasionally the wild cats will fight and she freaks out about that......and back in the day she thought there were lions in the woods, but she doesnt mention that too much anymore.

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  • elmer
    elmer Posts: 1,683
    I use t beieve that there was something alive under my bed and that it'd crawl out when all light had ceased. Very intense fear I recall, was never an excuse for anything though maybe I was a bit of a wuss as it still happened into my teens (not the wanting to share a bed with mummy part though).
  • Steve Dunne
    Steve Dunne Posts: 4,965
    This may have been said already, but maybe try letting her 'look at books' and fall asleep by herself with the light on. Turn it off later on that night when she's passed out.

    Another good one is when my 3 year old creeps downstairs cause she 'can't fall asleep'. I give her a kiss, have her watch a little hockey, and then tell her she came down by herself, she can walk upstairs and put herself to bed. Works every time.
    I love to turn you on
  • anotherclone
    anotherclone Posts: 1,688
    I know a parent that had this elaborate display they would do at night right before they put their child to bed.

    They had a spray bottle with "monster repellant" written on it and went all around the room and sprayed for monsters and then left it on the child's nightstand for them to use during the night if they awoke afraid. They said it worked.

    I could see how that might work if you really sold the idea to your child and involved them in buying the spray bottle and filling it up and spraying the room. Sure, you're kind of messing with the kids head. But isn't that what every good parent does from time to time? :p

    I think the child's fears are real and you have to teach them how to cope with those feelings. Even if you are kind of manipulating the whole scenario. At least you are giving them a feeling of strength and confidence by giving them some tools to help them be unafraid.

    My daughter used to try to get in our bed. I would just get up and put her back in bed and say "you just need to hug your friend (a stuffed toy) and think happy thoughts". She would do that. But she is very compliant and trusting of what I tell her. How I lucked out with that I have no idea. :)

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