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In the Dark
Helping Children Cope With Fears Through Story and Crafts
By Mike Anderson
A low-wattage nightlight will make a child's room less dark. Music, storytelling or ambient sounds will make the room less lonely. Adding the stars, planets, galaxies and comets to a child's ceiling can be a creative way to give the room a bit of light as well and a way to eventually turn off the nightlight. Stars can be purchased as sets or created. If you purchase a ready-made set, follow the directions on the package, or make your own:
- Cut the star shapes out of bright white cardboard and paint the cutouts with the glow-in-the-dark paint available at craft stores or over the Internet. The paint will be virtually invisible in the daytime. Attach the cutouts to the ceiling so they can be removed when the time comes (rubber cement or sticky-backed Velcro for instance).
- Or actually paint the ceiling. A black light allows the paints to be seen in the daytime. This method should probably be attempted by the artistically talented or very brave. Stencils are a safer way to be sure something that looks like a star is being painted on the ceiling.
A star-studded ceiling and a bit of background sound may be the magic ticket to a full night's sleep. It might not. But the child's room will no longer be as empty as it was, and it will be a much friendlier place to sleep.