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Home › Articles › Activities › In the Dark

In the Dark

Helping Children Cope With Fears Through Story and Crafts

By Mike Anderson

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Nyctophobia. Scary word, huh? Parents fear big words like that especially when the doctor is referring to their child. How about verbophobia? Verbophobia is the fear of words. Here's a way to control that fear: Look the word up and understand what it means.

Nyctophobia is the fear of the dark. The dark is a very real and very common fear for children between the ages of 4 to 6. Exhausted mothers and fathers are positive there is no monster hiding in the dark room. The child is just as positive there is something. Just like the parent who looks up the meaning of a word and comes to understand it, a child's fear of the dark can be handled the same way.

Tommy's dad did several things right:

  • He didn't make fun of the fear. According to Dr. Betti Hertzberg Ressler, board certified pediatrician at Miami Children's Hospital, parents should avoid phrases like "only babies are scared of the dark."
  • Dad did not look to see if something was hiding in the darkness. By actually looking, a parent can convince the child that something might actually have been there.
  • By giving Tommy a bit of power over his environment (making the shadows dance), Tmmy gained confidence.
  • Tommy stayed in his own room. Letting him leave could create another bothersome problem.
  • Leaving the door open and discussing the things that Tommy did enjoy about the nighttime were the beginnings of the end of Tommy's fear of being alone in his dark bedroom.

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