A dog bit you and now you don’t like them; or did he fall off the swing and now avoid them, or did they hit him in the face with the ball and now he’s afraid of playing basketball? Use these seven stages to help your child overcome a specific fear, such as these cases.
TO OVERCOME FEAR!
- He uses empathy to calm his need to run away. It may take a little time, give it to him, don’t push it.
- Validate the fear you have and discuss the importance of facing that fear; Discuss with him all that you deprive yourself of feeling that fear.
- Use cooperative communication so that you know that you are going to overcome that fear together: «I think we can try it together; Mom is going to help you, let’s go to the swing together and I will take you by the hand ».
- Try to reach an agreement about what you want to achieve: «Let’s try it, but only a little. You only have to take two steps near the puppy and I will be holding your hand ».
- Perform the action only when your child is ready, without pressing and without forcing him in the least.
- Ask him if he is satisfied with what he has achieved, how he feels; values and recognizes your ability to overcome fear.
- Repeat another day, in another context, to favor generalization: other puppies, of another breed, larger; another doctor, another clinic, for example.
Source: Dr. Álvaro Bilbao. The child’s brain explained to the parents.