Why Are Children Afraid Of Being Alone?
Every day, millions of parents are faced with the reality that their children are afraid of being alone. Because this is one of the most common phenomena among children, especially among the smallest.
In general, the fear of being alone begins between the ages of 2 and 5. And if it is not channeled correctly, it can have a direct impact on the emotional health of children.
In some cases, this can also lead to fear of the dark or children wanting to sleep with the light on. They may even fear costumes or clowns. In short, the fear of being alone can manifest itself in many ways in our children, and that is why we must be careful to recognize it and help them.
The perception of time in children
One of the reasons that children fear being alone is that they perceive the passage of time differently than adults. For example, when they are promised a way out, they are constantly asking if it is time to go.
This is because they do not perceive the passage of time in the same way that we do. So a few minutes can seem like an eternity.
Also, if they are the last ones at school or we are several minutes late in fetching them they will feel that they have waited many hours, and may have a panic attack. Some, therefore, may be afraid to go to class.
The fear of being alone, a normal phenomenon
Almost all children in the world are afraid of being alone during some period of their childhood. This is not something parents need to worry about. Children can be afraid to be alone even when they have company.
For example, children may fear being alone at school even though they are surrounded by many other children. In this case, the fear is produced by a feeling of insecurity.
They may also be afraid of being alone when they play in their room even though we are in another room. Even when they are babies, the fear of being alone occurs when they are taken by someone other than their mother or father.
Ways to help them overcome the fear of being alone
As parents, one of our jobs is to help our children overcome difficult setbacks in their lives, and one of them is the fear of being alone.
1.- Never minimize your problems
No matter how insignificant or silly children’s fears or concerns may seem, we must never underestimate them. The only thing that can achieve that attitude is that children do not trust us as parents.
2.- Do not teach them to be afraid
Some parents may make the mistake of terrorizing their children into doing certain things. For example, they say phrases like “If you don’t take a bath, the coconut will take you …”. This fosters fear and fear. Our children will be insecure and fearful, and it will be more difficult for them to cope with situations.
On the other hand, we could make the mistake of being overprotective. For example, if they have a problem at school, we go and solve it ourselves. However, we should rather let children resolve their issues on their own, so they will gain confidence and grow their self-esteem.
3.- Understand your fear of being alone
Instead of forcing them to face fear, we can ask them what is causing them fear and why. Trying to understand their fear of being alone can provide us with the necessary tools to help them deal with that problem.
When we discuss this situation with them, we must pay full attention to them. So they will see that we are very interested in their problems from a very young age and in the future they will feel more comfortable to tell us about the situations they go through.
Remember, the fear of being alone is a perfectly normal phenomenon in children. And with proper care and help from you, your child will get through it successfully.
