The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block 2-Book Bundle pdfdrive com

to her for dear life, sobbing, “Buggies, Mommy!
BUGGIES!”
Fran turned on the lights to show Stella her bed was
bug-free. “See, honey? No bugs! Everything’s okay. See?
No buggies!” Stella slowly calmed and Fran left. But a
minute later Stella burst into a panicked cry about
“buggies” yet again. That night Stella slept in her parents’
bed, where she was calm and quiet the whole night.
Fears may pop up when a child is under stress, suffers a scary experience
(an injury, earthquake, car accident), sees a scary cartoon, or hears
something ordinary but misinterprets it as something frightening. (“At
the picnic, the ants carried away everything!”)
Young toddlers (especially shy, cautious kids) often fear loud sounds
like thunder, firecrackers, or barking dogs. Around age three, fear of
“bad men,” monsters, and witches often develop.
One reason fears pop up at this age is because of a three-year-old’s
new ability: comparing. Three-year-olds constantly compare themselves
to the rest of the world. And, as you might imagine, the world can look
pretty big and scary to them. Toddlers love puffing out their chests and
announcing their supremacy over babies, but they often feel weak and
vulnerable compared to big kids, big dogs, and big strangers.
Older toddlers also have fears because of something called projection.
Many bigger tots still have the urge to bite and hit, but they know that
their parents expect them to control these primitive impulses. So they
transfer the urge from themselves and project it onto scary shadows,
strangers, and assorted imaginary “meanies.” (“The monster took my
toys … and tried to pinch me!”)
Note: Your reaction to your toddler’s fears may be deeply rooted in
your past. If your childhood fears were pooh-poohed, you may tend to

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overprotect your frightened child and accidentally undermine her
confidence. On the other hand, if your family made a big deal out of
praising you for courage, you may see your tot’s fearfulness as a
weakness that must be nipped in the bud.
I invite you to try to find a middle ground. Listen to your child’s fear
without minimizing it or overreacting. During three decades of
pediatrics, I’ve noticed that frightened kids calm fastest when their
worries are respectfully acknowledged and when they’re encouraged to
take baby steps to confront their fears.

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Tools to Relieve Fears
First, show your child that you take her feelings seriously.