Disclaimer Helping Young Children Manage Fears Young children's very strong imaginations along with their difficulties in separating reality from fantasy make fears very common in early childhood. Typical fears during this time include anxiety about going to preschool or daycare, concerns about going to the doctor or the dentist, fears of animals, and resistance to going into swimming pools or the ocean.
Some fears are well founded and really help with the child's adaptation to the world.
For example, it is a good idea to be fearful of going into busy streets and of walking off with strangers. However, sometimes fears are very unrealistic, strong enough to keep the children from doing things they need to do, or cause them to lose sleep and be irritable during the daytime. Fortunately, most early childhood fears only last a few months and are best dealt with through patience and understanding. In general, you can acknowledge the child's fears, encourage the young child to talk about them, offer reassurance and then just wait until the fear declines. Making a thorough search of the room for monsters to show the child that none are there and leaving a nightlight burning can also be helpful.