• Stay calm when your child is afraid. Your child will look to you for your reaction. Staying calm will reassure her and make her feel safe.
• Let your child know that it is okay to feel scared. Try saying "You don't like the thunder", or "That loud noise scared you didn't it?"
• Try not to go over the top with the attention you give to your child when she is scared. If we pay too much attention she may think that there really is something to be afraid of. Tell them about something you were afraid of when you were little and how you grew out of it.
• Although it is hard - try not to pass your own fears onto your child.
• Talk to your child about their fears. Sometimes they have misconceptions that can be cleared up. For example, when my little girl was 2 years old she was afraid of the noise the water made going out of the bath. She told us she thought a monster lived under the bath and was going to get her. We were able to discuss it with her, and even looked down the drain with a flashlight to establish there was nothing there.
• Try distracting your child with a toy or book.
• Play it out. Some children benefit from playing out the fear again and again. This lets her deal with her feelings in a safe way. If the fear is dogs - you and your child can take turns at being the dog and the child.
• If your child is particularly scared of something or someone give him some time to adapt before going ahead. Start small - if your child is afraid of the vacuum cleaner let him touch it when it is off, he may even feel safe enough to 'play' at vacuuming. Move on to doing the vacuuming when he is playing outside with another adult and then maybe watching through the window
• If you stay in sight you can help prevent fears. If your child can see you he will feel safer.
• Never make fun of your child's fear or get angry if her fear seems silly.
• Remember childhood fears are a normal part of growing up.

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