Things Kids are Afraid of! (age 5-10)

There are many things in the world that kids are afraid of. In fact many adults also fear many things. When you are afraid of something you get a "scrunchy" feeling inside your stomach and want to run away as fast as you can go. You may want to crawl under your bed and hide there, or you may want to run to your parents crying for help. There is nothing wrong with this. Childhood fears are normal and keep you from doing things that might harm you.

Some common things kids fear are spiders . Often, a child has never been bitten by a spider, but his parents have warned him to stay away from them because they bite. This is true sometimes and the bite of some particular spiders can even cause death, but many spiders are completely harmless. My parents always told me that stepping on a spider would make it rain, so spiders were always my friends.

Dogs often bite even in play. Sometimes their bark is fierce, and kids get scared. The best way to overcome a fear of dogs is to have one of your own. Get it as a small pup and raise it. See how loving and friendly your pet is, and your fears will lessen. Of course it is always best to respect dogs you are not familiar with, and allow them to come to you when they are ready.

Fears of doctors, dentists, hospitals and needles are common as well. Don't be afraid to ask questions and learn what is to be done to you. Ask how long it will take. Ask if will hurt. Ask your doctor, and ask your parents everything you need to know. Knowing exactly what will happen lessens the fear. Ask your mom or dad to stay with you if you are feeling frightened. Try to think of needles as tiny pricks that are finished before you can count to ten. Sure, they hurt, but the fear of them hurts more! Think happy thoughts of things you will do when the procedure is finished.

Both fear of heights and falling are common fears. It is quite natural to assume that if you climb to high place you might fall. With the thought of falling comes the fear of injury or even death. Many adults solve this fear by simply avoiding heights in the first place. They won't even stand on a chair to change a light bulb.