In most children’s lives, there will come a time when a fear crops up. For some children, they’ll be afraid of things like monsters, the dark, or bugs. For others, thunderstorms might be the scariest things they experience in their young lives.
While this can be hard for them to manage, with help from their parents, there are things you can do to help them learn how to cope with this fear instead of allowing their fear to control them. To help you see how this can be done in the life of your child, here are three tips for helping a child who’s afraid of thunderstorms.
Learn More About Thunderstorms
One thing that can make it easier to face a fear is by learning more about it and taking away the unknown that surrounds it.
According to Liza Torborg, a contributor to the Mayo Clinic, gaining more understanding about what causes a thunderstorm and what’s going on when a thunderstorm takes place can help to ease a lot of the feat around these events. When looking at books, websites, or other resources, make sure you show your child ones that focus on how the storms develop and function rather than what scary things can happen as a result of the storms themselves.
Help Them Feel Safe
Even with all the knowledge about how thunderstorms that your child may now have, their fear may still be very present once a thunderstorm arrives. If this is the case, the best thing you can do for them is to help them to know that they’re as safe as they can be.
While nowhere is completely safe from the effects of a thunderstorm, Parents.com shares that you can remind your child that the safest place they can be is in home or in a car. Additionally, you can show your child that you’re taking extra steps to make your home safe during a storm by doing things like securing your roof.
Find Ways To Help Your Child Remain Calm
With a real fear, even the best preparation may not be enough to help your child be braver during an actual thunderstorm. So when the storm is raging, KidsHealth.org advises that you do whatever you can to help your child remain calm. For some, this might mean distracting them from what’s going on outside. For others, they might need some extra cuddles from you. Whatever it is that helps your child feel more secure, try to help them with that so that they can remain calm during thunderstorms.
If you have a little one that’s afraid of thunderstorms, consider using the tips mentioned above to help your child cope during this scary time.
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