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Don't be afraid

Childcarers should see fears from a child's perpective in order to understand and dispel them, writes John Bolton Parents shouldn't be surprised when a toddler asks to sleep in their bed because of the monster under his own. Fear is a perfectly normal part of childhood. For young children, fantasy and reality are not distinct, and unlike adults, children cannot reason with their fear. So the task of controlling it falls to the adults around them, including teachers and nursery nurses.

Parents shouldn't be surprised when a toddler asks to sleep in their bed because of the monster under his own. Fear is a perfectly normal part of childhood. For young children, fantasy and reality are not distinct, and unlike adults, children cannot reason with their fear. So the task of controlling it falls to the adults around them, including teachers and nursery nurses.

What a child finds frightening can be very subjective. Some fears stem from common concerns like thunder or death; others arise through personal circumstances and experiences. No single method of control will work on every child, for every fear. The problem has solutions, but they can't be addressed without understanding what fear is, and why it occurs.

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