You know how I refer to Little as fearless? Well, it’s not entirely true.
Witches. He has a bizarre fascination with witches. It started around his 2nd birthday. He’d see shadows in his room, point, and whisper ominously, “Witch on a moonlight ride!” — a line from a Halloween book we have.
Lately the fear has resurfaced. He won’t sleep with his blankie anymore because it makes him dream about witches. Yes, even the fearless fear a thing or two.
And then there are the not-so-fearless. Big and I fall into that category. The worrier one. Our brains race with the what-ifs, the whys, the why-nots. Not only do we see our own witches at night, we see monsters in broad daylight. They come in the form of buzzing bees, looming deadlines, unrealistic expectations (not only for ourselves, but for others), rules (spoken and unspoken), you name it. We can pretty much find a monster lurking around any and every corner.
Well, it’s time to take control — to show those monsters who’s in charge. I’ve been trying to talk to the boys about their fears. To give them tools to work through the feelings of fear to regain a healthy sense of power and control. I’ve also been trying to do the same for myself. And I’m realizing that if I can make friends with my monsters, they might just give me a boost when I really need it.
This post was inspired by Sharon Cramer’s new children’s book, Marlow and the Monster. Beautifully expressive illustrations tell the story of a boy being pestered by a monster his parents insist doesn’t exist. As Big said, “He’s pretending to look like he’s not scared because he’s a big kid. But even big kids get scared — I do.” By the end, Marlow has found a way to manage the monster and go from being scared to being in control. While the artwork outshines the writing, it’s a great conversation starter for helping your kids tackle their own fears.
And now…the GIVEAWAY! To enter for the chance to win your very own copy of Marlow and the Monster, leave a comment below. Please share a fear you’re trying to help your little one conquer, or a technique you use to chase away the monsters in your house. All comments left before Thursday, August 23, 2012 at 9am PT will qualify as entries and one winner will be chosen at random.
Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book as inspiration for this post/giveaway. All opinions are my own.
I’m certainly hoping to gain some wisdom from posts here! My super confident 8 year old has suddenly become afraid of the dark – and all the zombies, monsters and ghosts that could possibly enter his dreams if he closes his eyes. He’s even afraid of the “ParaNorman” movie commercials on TV. All the while, my little 4 year old could care less! It’s become a huge ordeal every night at bedtime. It all stems from a Halloween book he’s loved for the past 2 years.
We’ve tried flashlights, glow sticks, multiple nightlights, hall lights and bathroom lights. (he’s too old for monster spray). We’ve talked endlessly about real/pretend, the safety of our house, alarm systems, etc. We’ve even talked about how his Grandma in heaven watches over him as he sleeps! Each night, however, he’s afraid of nightmares (which are few and far between I might add)!
I feel for you. Have you tried a dream catcher? Our friend gave one to us and I circle it around their heads at night saying, “Good night, sleep tight, only have good dreams tonight.” Sounds silly, but I think the ritual is calming to them. Sometimes I get called in to do it again, but it’s nice to have a go-to move when they call me back.
Good luck!!
ghosts Ghosts GHOSTS! Apparently our home is infested with ghosts… well, technically they’re only on floors of the house where my husband and I are not … and they especially like the bathroom.
we haven’t yet figured out a way to quell the fears… we’ve tried searching for the mysterious ghosts… or we’ve encouraged the boys to go together (because for some reason, my older, HUGE, son is afraid, but my younger, TINY, son is some sort of ghost repellant…)
The only other thing I’ve been able to do is stand at the foot of the stairs talking or singing loudly the whole time while my kid runs upstairs to retrieve whatever he needs to get… that seems to scare the ghosts away, too…
now that I think about it, if we don’t win this giveaway, perhaps I should invest in the book for our sanity! 😉
It sounds like you guys have some good ideas of your own, too! Funny how the biggest kids seem to be the most scared…gotta wonder how that happens.
Love this post. I was always the kid with night terrors growing up. My biggest fears were of The Hulk (actually just Lour Ferrigna in the Hulk make up), Darth Vader and Poltergeist (yes, my uncle let us watch this way too young!!). I’d wake up screaming with night terrors every night. Now I can only hope that my little girl has a her daddy’s bravery…cause I still can’t watch a scary movie!!
I’m with you on the scary movies. Here’s to raising one brave little girl!
Congratulations, Jodie! You’re the winner. I’ll be in touch with details. Thanks to everyone who commented!