Complete Idiot's Guide to Conquering Fear and Anxiety

In fairy tales, which start with "Long ago and far away," children are reassured that there is no imminent danger. This is also why they so like dinosaurs: Before themovie Jurassic Park, they were confident they would never run into one! And the frightening symbols of monsters in fairy tales are often gotten rid of by the childrenthemselves, who slay the dragon, fell the giant, and burn the wicked witch. This increases the child's confidence that they themselves can learn to tame their own fears.Television, in contrast, often portrays horrifying images beyond what children can manage and exacerbates their view of the world as scary and dangerous.First Steps in the Monster MashPage 281As a parent, you can't stop your child from feeling afraid. But you can do much to tame the monsters and prevent them from taking residence. First, though, you needto identify your child's fears.Using the list on the following page, check off the category or categories in which your child displays fears. In the blank space, fill in your child's specific fears. Markwith an asterisk those that are strong enough to constitute a phobia­those that are unusually intense, persist over time and cause avoidance that disrupts your child'slife. For instance, if your child reacts fearfully to strange men, underneath strangers write "men." If your child reacts phobicly to getting a shot, underneath medical,write "getting a shot*".