Ask a Dad

When Children Are Afraid Of The Dark

Children spend the first nine months of their life sheltered and nourished in a light less environment. Many wonder why they eventually develop a fear of the dark. It is thought that perhaps a survival instinct was inherited from ancient predecessors who had to face nocturnal predators on a daily basis. Whatever the cause as to why this important conundrum persists is unknown. How do you tell your children not to be afraid of the dark when you are keenly aware of the truth – that evil does, in fact, lurk inside every closet and under your bed as soon as the sun goes down?

I, for one, have heard their creaky noises and have seen their shadows that out dark even the night. Most of my encounters occurred as a child, which proves monsters, unfortunately, are more interested in haunting young people. As a parent, I realize this is quite unsettling to say the very least. The following are things you can tell your children that will help them both feel safe and BE safe.

1. Monsters can only attack at night. Therefore, if you can afford it, keep the lights on all the time and invest in a power generator that will automatically turn on in the event of an electrical power outage. You may want to also invest in a back up generator just in case the first one fails. Better to be safe than viciously attacked.

2. Secondly, monsters cannot attack you if you are in your bed completely covered with blankets. Tell your children that night air can poison their skin therefore they need to keep their entire body covered at night with blankets. One small side affect might be that they’ll learn to fear the night air.

That’s it! If you follow steps one and two you can safely tell your children that monsters do not exist (wink), keeping their dreams filled with unicorns, fairies, and centaurs.




-Tyler

Tyler H is a guest blogger and father to Emi. The Three BayBChicks have asked him to shed light on a Dad’s point of view under the stern supervision of his loving wife. If you have a question for Ask A Dad feel free to submit it in the comments section. The Three BayBChicks are not responsible for Tyler's "advice."