Many parents are faced with such a problem as fears in children before school age... Research by psychologists has shown that there are about 30 types of fear. Some of them are harmless or funny from the point of view of adults, but there are also serious ones, such that can have an impact on the entire future life of a child. It has long been proven that most adult fears are formed in childhood.

What is fear

Fear is a natural response to danger, be it real or imaginary. Parents should not forget that the child lives in his own world, where inanimate objects can talk and move, and fairy-tale characters are quite real. Therefore, the baby can see the threat where it really is not. Whatever the cause of children's fear, and no matter how it manifests itself, parents should take it seriously and to correct it.

Psychologists distinguish between the following types of childhood fears:

• Free fear characterized by a fearful expectation that is not associated with a specific object or situation, which can manifest itself at any time.
• Neurotic fear appears due to a violation of mental functions, for example, due to neurosis.
• Real fear is a normal reaction of the innate instinct of self-preservation to external danger.

The reasons

Psychologists share the causes of fear in children preschool age into several groups.

Specific case... A certain situation that happened to a child, for example, he was bitten by a dog, or he got lost in a store, can cause him in the future to fear a repetition of such an incident. Most often, such fears appear in children who are insecure, suspicious, with increased anxiety.

Environment... Regular family conflicts can lead to fears in the child, as children often feel guilty about their parents' quarrels. Communication difficulties are also the cause of fear. If a child is offended in a team, it is difficult for him to establish contact with peers, older children intimidate him, then he may begin to fear attending kindergarten or school.

Suggestion from the outside... Sometimes the appearance of fears in children is provoked by overly emotional warnings about danger from parents, grandparents, educators. Adults worry about children, so they often warn them about the dangerous consequences of any situation or action, for example, "Don't walk - you will fall!", "Don't touch - you will get hurt." The child usually remembers the second part of the warning and at the same time feels anxious. In the future, the feeling of fear and anxiety will be fixed in his mind and will spread to similar situations. Fear instilled in childhood can stay with a person for life, so such phobias need to be corrected.

Own fantasy... In preschool age, children quite often invent their own fears. For example, a child is afraid of the dark, as terrible monsters can hide in it. As they get older, some children forget about these fears, and in some they can cause nervous disorders.

Mental disorders... Fears in children are also a symptom of neurosis, a mental illness that must be treated. With neurosis, strong attacks of fear appear for any reason, which are not characteristic of the child's age norm.

Correcting fears through painting

While drawing, the child expresses his emotions. The drawing is a kind of mirror, reflecting the character traits, interests, hobbies of the preschooler. Therefore, psychologists consider the correction of fears in preschool children with the help of drawing effective method... When a child draws an object that causes him to fear, his anxiety, provoked by the expectation of a terrible thing, decreases. The preschooler will not be afraid of drawing, since the drawn fear is not dangerous, because this is something that has already happened.

Duration of drawing should not exceed 20-30 minutes. The child himself has to choose: draw him one of his greatest fears or several that cause less fear.

Set your preschooler to draw... Before the child begins to draw their fears, invite them to draw something on a neutral theme, such as their favorite animals or their family. According to the last picture, the psychologist can determine what kind of relationship the baby has with his parents and loved ones.

Go to the topic of fears... Invite your child to draw a picture on the theme "Scary dream" or "What am I afraid of." In cases where a preschooler does not know how to portray his fear, an adult can prompt him. If the baby refuses to draw his fears, then this means that he denies them, in such situations it will not be easy to correct the phobia.

Analyze the drawings... Please note which colors prevail in the picture. If there are mainly black and gray tones, then this is an indicator that the preschooler is depressed. When the child's psyche is unable to cope with a large number of fears, it shows this with a lowered mood. If a baby draws specific objects or phenomena that frighten him, then this is an indicator that he is ready to overcome his fear.

Discuss drawings... Talk to your child about what he drew, express your approval for him that he was able to overcome his fear, and portray it.

Make fear funny... When discussing his drawing with a preschooler, try to describe the picture with humor. Then ask the baby if he is scared. If the child is no longer afraid of what he has drawn, be sure to praise him. And if the phobia still remains, then it has become much weaker, the main thing is that the child feels the support of adults. Regardless of the result of the correction, tell your child that he did a good job.

For the most part, children's fears are temporary and disappear with the correct reaction of the parents to them. Without panic or ridicule, you need to calmly talk with your child, trying to identify the reasons for the fears and begin to correct them. But if the fears are neurotic or obsessive (phobias), if they cannot be corrected at home, then you should turn to specialists for qualified help. If you do not pay attention to the fears of the child, then the consequences in the future can result in serious problems.

Fear of the dark and other childhood fears

For many years, many children experience certain fears, the causes and consequences of which can be very diverse. The most common childhood fear is the fear of the dark, which usually appears from the age of three and older. It is for such an age period that a well-developed imagination and not fully developed logic, unable to distinguish fantasy from reality, are characteristic. Sometimes a baby can be frightened by a simple trifle, which for an adult will turn out to be sheer nonsense or even stupidity. It is important not to miss the moment when such childhood fears appear, because they must be overcome without fail. Otherwise, such fears can cause significant difficulties in the future, making themselves felt in adulthood.

The extinguished light in the room radically changes the child's perception of the surrounding space and things that were completely harmless when the lights were on, become mysterious and ominous in the dark. The reason for fears, most often, is not clear to the kids themselves, but it becomes clear to specialists, who argue that such fear is caused by a space that is inaccessible to a child. This "territory" even got its symbolic name - dead space. Failure by adults to understand the reasons why a child is afraid of the dark and how to eliminate them, often leads parents astray and they, completely mistakenly, try to get rid of fears by punishment, closing and leaving children alone in dark rooms. However, in this way it is absolutely impossible to get rid of fear, but it is possible to further strengthen and develop it.

Fears in preschool and school children

Various and very commonplace things can act as reasons for the appearance of other children's fears: a child is stuck in an elevator, he was bitten by a pet or some insect, even a spoken unpleasant word can be deposited in the baby's memory for a long time, which in the future can have a bad effect on him psyche. Sometimes parents, unwittingly, can intimidate a child: phrases such as "if you are not obedient, Baba Yaga will take you" and the like are one of the reasons for the appearance of children's fears.

The child can also be haunted by impressive fears, which over time are deposited in the subconscious. Often, parents in a too emotional voice warn the child about the danger on the road or on the street, and this can develop inner fear in the baby ... Fear in children is often caused by an alarming atmosphere in the family: the calmer it is, the stronger the child's psyche.

Some fears in children are normal at a certain age and go away on their own. So, a 3-5 year old kid is often afraid of loneliness, darkness and confined space; at the age of 6 and 7, a child may be afraid of something related to school, to get lost and be left alone, various monsters, physical punishment; at the age of 7 and 8, the child may also have fears of physical punishment and related to school, inattention of peers and dislike of parents, fear of disasters and cataclysms, darkness; at the age of 8 and 9 - also fears related to school, physical punishment and dislike of parents, fear of losing them, inability to play anything, exposure of deception or bad behavior; at 9, 10, 11 years of age - fear of illness, heights, whirling, any animals or people - alcoholics, drug addicts, bandits, the unattainability of success in anything; at the age of 11, 12 and 13, a child may have a fear of defeat, illness, death, his extraordinary behavior and failure in anything, sexual violence, criticism in his direction, the loss of personal items.

The main task of parents in such situations is to provide timely assistance to the child, which he needs so much.

How to deal with fears in children

Before starting to get rid of fears in children, you need to calmly (this helps them feel safe) ask the child about what he is afraid of, but not focus on any fear, so as not to fix it in the child; encouraging, ask him to describe when he has a feeling of fear. But don't tell your child that he or she makes up his own fears and that they don't really exist. This will not help the child get rid of his fear.

If the child is terribly afraid of the dark, you cannot force him to fall asleep in a dark room. Thus, you can only suppress the child's fears, driving them inside, creating serious preconditions for the further development of fear. Turn off the light only with the full consent of the baby. At night, it is recommended to leave included additional light sources in the form of bedside lamps, so that he can contemplate what is happening around him. You cannot turn off the night light after the child falls asleep: if he suddenly wakes up, he will be even more frightened.

Some children are helped by a large soft toywith which they go to bed, and who becomes their companion, protecting them from annoying fears.

- Praise the child during your confidential conversation and offer him exclusively in bright and positive colors. Also, the painted fear can be "destroyed": burn it, crush it, break it or simply imprison it in the picture.

Properly selected cartoons, in which ill-wishers and monsters are presented as kind and cheerful creatures, can play an important role in the fight against fears. So, using the baby's imagination, you can imagine the fears as quite funny and harmless, such that they do not do any harm. And using the image of a certain character (for example, a kind brownie), you can create a reliable guard who will guard the peace of the child while he sleeps sweetly.

You should pay more attention to the child, stroking him on the head - this calms down. It is important to talk to your child more about their fears. As scientific practice shows, the more the baby talks about his fears, the faster they dissipate.

Reading fairy tales with a good ending before bedtime will be a great help. Or come up with your own fairy tale, which will definitely end with the child's victory over fear! Play the plot of the fairy tale with him and, if the child's reaction is positive, later repeat it again. If the reaction is negative, then choose another way to get rid of fears or contact a specialist.

In order to overcome all the fears of the child, parents should not remain indifferent to them. Tales of fears with a happy ending, visualizing fear and eliminating it, talking about fears frankly and exposing them are the most effective methods of dealing with childhood fear. In more serious situations, when the parents cannot cope with the baby's fears on their own, you should contact psychologists without hesitating to take such a step, because a competent specialist can always find a way out even from the most difficult situation.

It is possible that your child's fears are caused by reasons that you do not know about. The psychologist talks about them in this video

And in conclusion, I would like to say to all parents: if your child does not obey, never frighten him with Babajka or Baba Yaga. It is very scary for him that someone will come for him, and you, it turns out, will not protect him. You should inspire your child that you love him and will always protect him, and that he is safe at home.

Your child can listen to the audio recording of the famous child psychologist Lyudmila Petranovskaya, who very interestingly and easily advises what to do to the child if he is afraid of the dark ...

Childhood fears - normal phenomenon, because this is how the child shows emotions, gets used to the world around him and socializes. Some psychologists believe that babies are unfamiliar with this feeling, but as they grow older in preschool and school age, they are observed to be afraid of different things. The appearance of anxiety has its own reasons. They need to be clarified, because over time, any fear can develop into a real phobia, which will remain in a person's adult life. Correction of the baby's behavior is carried out in different ways, most of which are available to parents at home.

Many adults often ask the question: why are babies not afraid of anything, because they can do something from which a man or woman's heart stops and panic arises. This happens for one simple reason - babies do not have a self-preservation instinct like mom, dad and older children. However, as they grow up, there is a big leap in the child's psycho-emotional development, and it is at this stage that fears begin to form in him.

Fear is a strong emotion of the human body, which is formed as a result of the work of the instinct of self-preservation.

Many psychologists and educators are studying the formation of anxiety, a sense of danger and fear of something in children. They draw the parents' attention that these emotions in themselves are not a pathology, so they should not be considered delusional. This is a completely normal phenomenon that is characteristic of many babies due to their rich imagination. But adults must be careful not to turn a little fear into a phobia. This condition is no longer the norm, it requires consultation with specialists and long-term correction.

Why a child begins to be afraid: all the reasons for the appearance of fears

Some experts deny the possibility of logical judgments on the part of young children, explaining this by the fact that kids take any information seriously. For example, the parents said: "Don't touch the dog, it will bite you!" The son or daughter does not understand that the animal will not necessarily behave aggressively, it is possible, but this is not always the case. However, a stereotype has already formed in the mind of the crumbs: all dogs bite if you touch them, so you need to be afraid of them, they are dangerous. And there are many such examples. The child cannot yet connect logical chains and learn that not all words of adults need to be taken literally, this is just a warning.

In many cases, children are not afraid of something in particular, but of punishment that may follow from parents or other adults. That is why mom and dad should calmly explain to the baby why something cannot be done, and not immediately scold the child.

There are other factors in the appearance of childhood fears:

• rich fantasy. Once he hears that there is something scary in a dark room, the baby immediately begins to be afraid. This applies to many phrases and conversations that the child perceives as truth. The same applies to what he saw: after watching a scary cartoon, the baby may get scared and think that this will happen to him in reality;
• action that happened to the child. Most often, certain events become the cause of anxiety. For example, a cat scratched a baby, and after that he became afraid, because the animal could hurt again;
  

  Not all children begin to be afraid. Some, falling off the bike, immediately sit on it again. The appearance of fear largely depends on the character: shy, suspicious and withdrawn children are more afraid of others.

• tense family situation. Children are very emotional, they are able to repeat the mood of their parents and project it onto themselves. Therefore, quarrels, screams, scandals between adults negatively affect the psychological state of the baby. He becomes withdrawn, irritable, constantly feels anxiety about any reason. If the situation does not change, such feelings can develop into fear over time;
• lack of friends. As they grow up, the child needs socialization. This process begins with relationships with other children, first on the playground, then in the kindergarten and school. But if no one wants to be friends with a baby, they laugh at his attempts to enter a team, he develops a social phobia. Because of this, the baby is afraid to go to play with the guys, and visiting an educational institution turns into an endless stream of tantrums and nervous breakdowns;
• problems in the work of the nervous system. In some cases, the child develops a fear that is unfounded. This is an abnormal condition, pathology, so consultation with a psychologist is mandatory. Only a specialist will be able to diagnose the disease and make the correct diagnosis. Such fear develops against the background of neuroses, and for psychocorrection, several specialists will need to work with the baby.

What is Childhood Pathological Fear Syndrome?

Doctors also identify a condition called childhood pathological fear syndrome. It is characterized by a fear of various objects, actions and phenomena and arises unreasonably, without any reason. The attack begins with crying, discontent and develops into severe hysteria and panic. It lasts a long time, in some cases, children can experience unexplained anxiety for days. This syndrome is considered a pathology, and psychologists associate it with mental abnormalities in the development of the child, which originate in early age, but noticeably appear by the age of six to seven.

Video: psychologist on the emergence of children's fears

Methods for diagnosing fears in children

Doctors consider the emergence of fear as a kind of protective function of the body, which can make itself felt at a certain age, and then passes over time. Sometimes a short conversation is enough to explain what is not to be feared, and children immediately forget about their problems. However, there are pathological fears that manifest themselves in the form of a state of horror and shock. They negatively affect the speed of a child's development. The specialist will help you understand whether the baby's anxiety is considered normal or not.

To understand the state of the child, you need to diagnose his fears. This will help to find out the reason for the development of fear and then help the baby to overcome anxiety. It is best to refer to child psychologist, who will select a method for assessing the baby's behavior, develop a treatment program and give recommendations to parents on what to do in the future.

Experts note that the formation of fear is completely normal. In this way, the child's body is adapting to the world around him, because much is still unfamiliar and incomprehensible to him.

Child psychologists use different techniques to diagnose phobia in children:

• conversation with the child. The specialist carefully thinks over the questions so as not to scare the baby even more. An important condition for a successful therapeutic effect is a trusting atmosphere in which the baby feels protected and begins to reveal all his secrets;
  

  It is very difficult to diagnose children: they are afraid to talk about their anxiety. Therefore, one careless question or the wrong intonation in the voice can ruin the relationship with a specialist, the baby will withdraw into itself and will no longer make contact.

• painting. The doctor may ask you to draw something on a specific or arbitrary topic. After the child finishes, the drawing is studied. The calculation takes into account both the theme and the color scheme that was chosen, and the location, size of the figures on a sheet of paper;
• fairy tales, questionnaires or tests. This method is more suitable for older preschool and primary school children. An adult may be asked to come up with an ending to the story, answer some questions;
• modeling. This method is used less often than others and is suitable for children who refuse to talk to a psychologist and do not like to draw pictures.

Test to identify feelings of fear in boys and girls

Many psychologists have developed various tests with which you can determine the presence of fear and the degree of its manifestation. The methodology of Alexander Zakharov and Marina Panfilova "Fears in the houses" for children over the age of three is very popular.

1. An adult draws two houses on a blank white sheet: one in red, the other in black.
2. Then he invites the child to play a game: only terrible fears live in the black house, but fearless ones live in the red one.
3. And he begins to list out loud to the kid in turn 29 types of various frightening objects and phenomena.
4. The child, in turn, answers in which of the houses he will place each name.
5. The specialist notes to himself only that fear that the baby will place in a black house.

All fears in this test can be divided into certain groups:

• medicine (pain during the procedure, tools such as syringes, doctors);
• fear of death;
• phenomena and objects (loud sounds, car, thunder, water, etc.);
• animals (wild, domestic, microbes, insects);
• darkness and nightmares;
• fictional characters (cartoon characters or fairy tales);
• people (other children, strangers and own parents);
• actions (punishment, physical violence);
• space (fear of confined spaces, height, depth).

Depending on the result obtained, doctors diagnose the condition of the baby and determine the scheme of actions in order to teach the child how to cope with anxiety and fear.

Questionnaire for parents to determine the presence of children's fears, phobias and panic states

In addition to various tests, fairy tales and other techniques, there are questionnaires that contain a certain number of questions. Based on the parents' answers, the psychologist assesses what the situation is and gives recommendations to mom and dad how to behave in this situation. The questionnaire below is suitable for children aged 4 to 10.

1. The child cannot do one thing for a long time, gets tired quickly and is often distracted.
2. Mood changes several times in a short time: crying can abruptly turn into laughter and back.
3. The kid is often upset and upset for any reason and without.
4. Any failure causes crying, hysteria, which can last for a long time.
5. A bad mood is a constant companion of a child.
6. The assignments cause anxiety and tension.
7. Anxiety is manifested by frequently repeated actions: sucking a finger, biting nails, constantly fiddling with something in his hands.
8. Cannot fall asleep on its own, wakes up several times during the night, cries during sleep or screams.
9. Can't react quickly in many situations.
10. She is afraid of strangers and does not like to play with other children.
11. He cannot make decisions on his own, he is not confident in his abilities.
12. Often he changes his mind, it is difficult to agree with him, because in a minute, five or an hour with a hysterical crumb he will prove that he wants something completely different.
13. Before a new assignment, an acquaintance, she experiences malaise, indigestion, headache and discomfort in the abdomen.
14. There is increased sweating, especially before something new.
15. There are no favorite dishes or delicacies, the baby constantly has a bad appetite.

All questions can be answered with one of three options:

• yes - 2 points;
• sometimes - 1 point;
• no - 0 points.

Table: determination of the level of anxiety based on the results of the questionnaire

What are the types of childhood fears among preschoolers and schoolchildren?

All fears of a child can be divided into several types:

• real. They arise due to the instinct of self-preservation and help the baby to avoid many dangerous situations... Of course, every person has such fears, but adults have learned to control them so as not to succumb to panic and emotional shock. The task of the parents in this case is to direct the understanding of the baby in the right direction, try to understand the cause of the anxiety state and help remove it so that later it does not develop into pathology;
  

  This type also includes obsessive fears. They arise as a consequence of certain events that happened to the child. For example, the baby almost drowned in the bathtub, so he became afraid of water, and the bathing turns into a hysteria. If you do not help the baby in time, such a problem can turn into aquaphobia, which only a psychologist can cope with.

• neurotic. The most dangerous fears that can be associated with a mental disorder. The problem is that it is very difficult to determine the cause of the fear. Therefore, parents are advised to contact a specialist who, using certain techniques, will assess the condition of the baby and will work to correct the situation;
• overvalued. They are most common among children. Almost all children at one time or another are afraid of the dark, negative heroes of fairy tales or films, animals, loneliness, etc. more child is left alone with the problem, the more fear penetrates into consciousness and fills all the thoughts of a little person. It becomes an obsession that affects the emotional state of the baby in a negative way;
  

  Psychologists give this example: small children are inseparable from their mother. But as they get older, they should be willing to stay with another adult they know for a while, such as their dad or grandmother. In this case, the child behaves normally, as always. If an overvalued fear dominates in the mind of the crumbs, he starts hysterical, since mom is not around. These are not just whims, there is already a certain attitude in the thoughts of the kid: far from the dearest person it is dangerous, something bad can happen at any moment.

• night. They appear only in the dark, otherwise the child behaves completely normal. But as night approaches, the mood deteriorates noticeably, anxiety appears, the baby suddenly begins to cry, does not want to sleep alone or in complete darkness. In some cases, children can easily fall asleep on their own, but at night they cry in their sleep, scream, call for help. In the morning, kids often do not remember what they dreamed.

Sometimes mom and dad are to blame for the development of fears in their offspring. When they are constantly in a state of anxiety, the baby takes over this behavior. The same goes for excessive adult custody of the child. If there are too many prohibitions, limited choice, there is no opportunity for self-realization, then children withdraw into themselves and are afraid to do something wrong. Therefore, experts strongly advise parents to monitor their behavior in relation to the baby.

Video: different fears of babies and ways to overcome them

Manifestation of fears between the ages of one and 11 years

The features of the manifestation of fear differ depending on the age of the child. As you grow older, fears can change: some pass, while others appear. And this state of affairs is considered absolutely normal, because this is how the baby prepares for independence and life in society.

Table: age characteristics of the appearance of children's fears

Pedagogical methods of correction of children's fears

Psychologists approach the correction of children's fears gradually: first, diagnostics are carried out, and only then a professional develops a strategy and an action plan, determines a method with which it will be possible to overcome the fear in babies. Modern psychology offers many different ways that are applied simultaneously, separately or sequentially.

It should be noted that the child should like the method chosen by the psychologist. If the baby is naughty, starts crying or refuses to complete tasks, you need to find another way. It is strictly forbidden to force or scold the baby.

Art therapy in overcoming the problem

Art therapy is very common as children love to paint. Its essence lies in the image of the fear of the child. The psychologist invites the child to reproduce on paper what he fears most, and then, together with the author, analyzes the resulting picture. For example, a monster can be locked up forever by planting it in a cage from which it cannot escape. In many cases, an excellent solution is to add funny elements to the picture, then the baby visually understands that there is nothing to be afraid of.

Parents can be near the child, but do not help him draw the object of alarm. Also, adults should not make a decision about what to do with the picture: if the baby wants to tear it, let him do it, but do not insist and force the baby to get rid of the image.

Play therapy for psychological comfort

This is a great way to help your child write a positive scenario. IN game form together with a psychologist, the baby talks about his fears. The specialist asks leading questions, carefully leading the conversation to positive moments. For example, a monster is sitting in a closet. You can imagine that the monster himself is afraid of the dark and cries, wants to see his mother. Now he's not that scary.

Many guys reveal real talents, getting used to the role and overcoming shyness. At the end of therapy, a psychologist may advise you to enroll your child in a theater studio.

Fairytale therapy: the role of a fairy tale in individual psychocorrection

Children love fairy tales, because in them good always triumphs over evil. In order to help your child overcome fear, you need to choose stories that will not only interest the child, but also help him feel the most courageous and strong, capable of helping friends and parents. You can write your own story and discuss it with a crumb.

Today, adults can order a special book of fairy tales, in which the main character will be a son or daughter. Photos of the baby are printed on the pages of this publication.

Talking about objects of fear with school-aged children

Talking about the object of fear is appropriate for primary school children. They already know how to clearly formulate their thoughts and understand that tantrums and panic do not give pleasure and are very exhausting, they simply cannot do anything about their condition on their own. The specialist conducts a dialogue in a comfortable atmosphere, does not scare the child, but provides freedom of choice: he does not force him to tell everything at once. Guiding questions, clear explanations and arguments from the psychologist will help the boy or girl understand and deal with his fear.

Correction of children's fears using affirmations

Affirmation is a special way by which a certain image is established in the child's mind. This effect can be achieved with the help of a phrase that the psychologist repeats many times when working with a baby. For example, if the baby often hears that the cat is good, over time he will believe in it and stop being afraid of her.

An affirmation is necessarily a short phrase that consists of one or two sentences without complication. The child should only hear clear words and phrases.

Sand painting technique

Today, sand handling is gaining immense popularity. Even children who do not like or still do not know how to draw are happy to plunge into this activity. This type of creativity not only develops fine motor skills, but it also helps to relieve stress, the baby relaxes, so the specialist works out the crumbs' fears more deeply.

Music and dance therapy in the work of psychologists

The essence of the technique consists in the selection of special melodies that have a calming effect, have a relaxing effect on nervous system the child and set up to contact a specialist. This type of therapy is often combined with others: the baby can listen to music and draw at the same time. But not all children like to dance, so the master of his craft carefully studies whether this method is suitable in order to remove fear.

Meditation as a way to overcome fear

Not all child psychologists use this method. In order to engage in meditation with a child, a specialist must have certain knowledge and skills. The essence of the method is to perform a series of psychological exercises with the baby that allow you to penetrate deeper into yourself, understand the cause of your fears and overcome them at the level of thinking.

Meditation is not suitable for babies, because they will not understand how it works. It is most effective to study with students.

If the child shows signs of psychosis, panic, and neurosis, meditation may not be suitable as a way to correct fears. The fact is that to do the exercises, you need to fully focus, but not all children can do this.

Psychotherapy to combat childhood fears: expert advice

Classes with a psychotherapist include joint work not only with a child, but also trainings with parents. Depending on the degree of manifestation of fear (initial stage or phobia), the doctor chooses a correction method and starts work. Psychotherapy is a system of influencing the baby's psyche in order to relieve him of feelings of fear, anxiety and neuroses.

Psychotherapists point out that parents need to change their behavior and listen to a number of tips:

• mom and dad should show their love for the baby, surround him with care and show understanding;
• do not dismiss the child: daily parental attention and spending time together is the key to the harmonious psychological development of the baby;
• children should not be prohibited from communicating with their peers, they need to adapt socially;
• the baby needs games that should be present in the baby's life every day;
• you should never frighten children: every phrase of adults is perceived by a child literally.

Video: how to get rid of fear

The benefits of childhood fears

The psycho-emotional development of a child provides for the formation of various fears as a manifestation of the instinct of self-preservation. If the baby does not understand what is possible and what is not, he will become helpless in front of the actions of other people or various phenomena. Therefore, the appearance of fear is a normal state, but if the baby is not afraid of anything, then it is worth considering.

As soon as the body recognizes a critical situation, a dose of adrenaline enters the bloodstream. As a result, the brain begins to think faster and brighter, which contributes to decision making. If the child did not feel fear, this state would not have been achieved.

Social adaptation of children is also impossible without fear and manifestation of fear. The child's emotions directly depend on the perception of peers: the child wants to get to know other children and make new friends. Many boys and girls are afraid of losing a friend or girlfriend, so they try to analyze situations, make decisions on their own and prepare to live in a world where mom will not be around all the time.

Literary works, articles and books

To better understand the nature of childhood fears, parents can study the literature of psychologists and doctors, which details the causes and ways of solving various situations.

1. Sigmund Freud, Psychoanalysis of Childhood Fears. In his book, the author describes the collaboration of the boy's father with a specialist to achieve the best results, starting with determining the cause of the fear and considering the patterns of action in a specific case.
2. G. Eberlein, Fears of Healthy Children. A doctor of medicine from Austria in his work describes various forms and types of fears that, without correction, lead to neuroses, as well as sleep and speech disorders. The author tells parents what methods can be used to combat fear, as well as prevent its appearance.
Fears of Healthy Children is a book by an acclaimed Australian medical doctor that helps identify and combat fears

The emergence of fears in childhood is common. But adults should not miss the moment when a small fear gradually begins to develop into a pathological condition. IN preschool institutions and in schools, psychologists work with children, they carry out diagnostics several times a year. If there are deviations in the development of the baby, the specialist will inform the parents and give some advice. Moms and dads are obliged to listen to these recommendations so as not to aggravate the situation and help the little one overcome their problems.

Introduction …………………………………………………… ... …………………… 3

Chapter 1. THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF STUDYING CHILDREN'S FEARS AND METHODS OF THEIR CORRECTION ……………………………………… ............... 6

The problem of phobias in modern psychological and pedagogical literature …………………………………………… .. ……… ..6

The nature of children's fears …………………………… .. …… 13

Personal anxiety as a factor in the formation of fear in a child ………………………………………………………………… .. ……. …… 23

Ways to correct children's fears …………………… .30

Chapter 2. STUDY OF IDENTIFICATION OF CHILD'S FEARS AND METHODS OF THEIR CORRECTION IN PRESCHOOL AGE ………….… ..42

2.1. Review of diagnostic techniques …………………… .. …………………… 42

2.2. Analysis of research results …………………………………… ..… .52

2.3. Correction of children's fears on the example of a preschool institution ……………………………………………………………………… ..... 53

CONCLUSION ………………………………………………………………… .66

BIBLIOGRAPHIC LIST ………………………………………… ..69

APPENDIX ……. …………………………………………………………… 73

Introduction

In a situation of social instability, many unfavorable factors fall upon the modern child, which can not only slow down the development of the potential of the individual, but also reverse the process of its development. Therefore, much attention is paid to the problem of fear in the works of domestic psychologists and psychotherapists, who note an increase in the number of children with various fears, increased excitability and anxiety.

Children's fears are, to one degree or another, caused by age characteristics and are temporary. However, those childhood fears that persist for a long time and are hard for the child to experience, speaks of the baby's nervous weakness, the wrong behavior of the parents, conflicting relationships in the family and, in general, are a sign of trouble. Most of the reasons, as psychologists note, lie in the field of family relationships, such as connivance, inconsistency in upbringing, negative or overly demanding attitude towards the child, which generates anxiety in him and then forms hostility to the world.

The child's psyche is distinguished by heightened sensitivity, vulnerability, inability to resist adverse influences. Neurotic fears appear as a result of prolonged and insoluble experiences or acute mental shocks, often against the background of painful overstrain of nervous processes. Therefore, neurotic fears require special attention of psychologists, teachers and parents, since in the presence of such fears, the child becomes constrained, tense. His behavior is characterized by passivity, affective withdrawal develops. In this regard, the question of early diagnosis of neurotic fears arises.

Recently, the issues of diagnostics and correction of fears have acquired great importance, due to their rather wide distribution among children. In connection with the above, there is an urgent need for an integrated approach to solving the problem of correcting children's fears, in particular, involving the family. This work can be expressed both in familiarizing parents with the research results in an acceptable form, and in sending parents to a consultation with a specialist in family matters. This approach can affect not only external sides manifestations of fears, but also on the circumstances giving rise to it.

Fears, emotional disturbances are amenable to correction and pass without consequences in children under ten years of age. Therefore, it is extremely important to contact a specialist in a timely manner, to take measures to overcome phobias in a child. In this regard, the most relevant for practical psychology and pedagogy is the task of finding the most effective ways to identify and overcome the mental ill-being of the child.

Research object: children's fears as a psychological and pedagogical phenomenon

Research subject: children's fears and ways to correct them.

Purpose of the study: to reveal the influence of children's fears on the behavior of a child and to determine ways of correcting them in preschool age.

Hypothesis: when conducting the study, we proceeded from the assumption that childhood fears are interdependent on the child's increased anxiety and contribute to the development of emotional distress in the preschooler's personality, therefore, timely correction will help to overcome age-related fears in preschoolers.

Analyze the work of domestic and foreign scientists on the problem of phobias.

To study the psychological reasons for the formation of children's fears.

Consider the impact of fear and anxiety on the developing personality of the child.

To identify the nature of children's fears and ways to correct them in preschool age.

To develop a model of correctional lessons to overcome fears in preschoolers.

The methodological basis is the theoretical provisions put forward in the works of Russian scientists A.I.Bozhovich, L.S. Vygotsky, A.I. Leontyeva, A.V. Zaporozhets, L.A. Petrovskaya, T.M. Mishina, A.S. Spivakovskaya, K.D. Ushinsky, A.T. Leaders, K. Izard, exploring the emotional and personal sphere, anxiety and fears in children. The experience of foreign authors Z. Freud, A. Adler, K. Horney, C. Spielberger, F. Perls, E. Fromm, J. Watson, G.S. Sullivan, V.E. Gebzattel, dealing with the problem of phobias and their influence on the forming personality of the child.

Base and research methods: this research was conducted in the city of Zeya on the basis of the Municipal Children's Educational Institution No. 3. The study sample consisted of 60 people (40 preschoolers and 20 parents).

To confirm the hypothesis put forward, the following methods of psychological research were used: analysis of literary sources, observation, conversation, questionnaires, testing, mathematical analysis.

In our research, we used: the method for identifying children's fears "Fears in the houses" by A.I. Zakharova and M.A. Panfilova, the projective method of studying fear by A.I. Zakharova "My fears", a questionnaire for assessing the level of anxiety G.P. Lavrentieva and T.M. Titarenko, a questionnaire for identifying fear of separation by P. Baker and M. Alvord, as well as a projective method for studying emotional problems and difficulties in family relationships "Family drawing" by V.K. Loseva and the method of diagnosing the emotional state "Silhouette of a man" L. Lebedeva

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