The child sees a person and cries. What is at the root of the fear of the child. How to help a child who is afraid of strangers

13.04.2019

advises child psychologist Tatiana Shishova.

Transitional age

In the first months after birth, children are surprisingly sociable: they walk into the arms of strangers, look at guests with curiosity, and are in crowded places with joyful interest. But at 7–8 months, a sharp turning point occurs: the baby suddenly begins to be afraid of strangers. Only yesterday the child responded with animation and laughter to the smiles of passers-by, but today he suddenly burst into tears at the sight of his grandmother, who had come to visit her granddaughter, and flatly refused to go into her arms. Parents are frightened by such demonstrations, not understanding why their sociable baby suddenly became a timid coward.

Such emotional outbursts are normal for one-year-old babies. Moreover, the fear of strangers is a natural phase of development, which means that the baby began to divide people into “us” and “strangers”. This is a kind of manifestation of the innate instinct of self-preservation.

Research scientists have shown that in the company of strangers or in the absence of a mother in babies from 9 to 12 months, the amount of cortisol (stress hormone) in the blood increases, because in the company of new people the child feels confusion and panic. Defense mechanism turns on, and when the baby is left without a mother, even for a short period of time. In such a situation, the task of parents is to create a sense of security in the baby: take him in his arms, hug him, caress him, comfort him. kind word. In crowded places, it is better to carry a child in a "kangaroo" or a sling - bodily contact with the mother gives peace and comfort. If you are expecting guests, be sure to let them know about possible negative reactions crumbs, explain that between 7–9 months and 2–3 years of age, children become fearful and timid. The phrase “he is now afraid of everyone” is universal and will immediately eliminate the awkwardness that has arisen.

Advice. Warn a two-three-year-old child about the arrival of guests in advance, describe them, create positive images. When the doorbell rings, remind your child that guests have arrived and wait a few seconds before opening the door. If the baby restrained himself and did not cry at the sight of new faces, be sure to praise the “dared man” for his courage.

Give it time to get comfortable

Try not to send your child to kindergarten until the child is psychologically ready to let you go. An early separation from the mother threatens to aggravate fears and the emergence of various psychological difficulties. Of course, there are situations when a mother is forced to give the baby to a nursery at 1–1.5 years. In this case, it is important to ensure a soft, delicate adaptation to new conditions. Agree with the administration of the kindergarten that the first time you will be with the child. Then, when the baby gets used to it, start leaving the baby: for an hour, then for 2-3, then for half a day, sensitively reacting to the slightest manifestations of fear, insecurity or anxiety. So the baby will slowly get used to the caregivers and children, stop perceiving them as strangers and will treat parting with you more calmly. In the same way, you should behave with the nanny: first be present at her visits, then leave the baby alone with the teacher for 15 minutes, for half an hour, for an hour, and so on incrementally. At each parting, you can use a special ritual: the nanny waves a toy or holds out a certain object to the baby - always the same, to appease and attract the baby. After a couple of weeks, the child will completely get used to the new person, and you will be able to go to work.

Advice. You should not change anything in your lifestyle on those days when you accustom your baby to kindergarten or a nanny. Even the stroller or crib is undesirable to change. Any changes can complicate the adjustment period.

Be tactful

Sometimes fear of strangers arises as a result of experienced stress. For example, in early childhood the child was taken to the hospital, where he was without his mother. Such trials can result in pathological fears of adults, especially doctors and nurses. In the company of strangers, the baby can become restless, whiny, or, conversely, inhibited, silent. Persuading or disgracing a child is cruel and pointless, the baby will close, stop trusting his parents, but will not become bolder. Fathers who dream of seeing their baby active, courageous, not realizing that the child’s psyche is extremely vulnerable, especially sin with reproaches of “cowardice”. From contemptuous ridicule or angry statements in the baby, shame for his own “cowardice” is also added to fear. Now the problem will become double - the baby will have to get rid of not only fear, but also prove to himself and others his worth.

You can help in overcoming deep fears only with support, assurances that you understand the baby’s fears, realize how hard it is for the baby, never leave him in difficult situation and always save the day. The kid should feel that his experiences are taken seriously, sympathize with him and sympathize. Then the child will have confidence that together with his parents he will be able to overcome everything.

Adult stories about their own childhood fears and ways to overcome them are also effective. The kid will receive an important installation: dad (or mom) was also afraid when they were little, but managed to cope, learned to control fear.

Advice. Can be of great help role-playing games in which with the help of puppets you can play everyday situations, alarming for preschoolers. For example, if a five-six-year-old child cannot be alone for a minute, you can show a mini-performance: the Hare was afraid to be alone, but the Hare mother persuaded him and left. When she went away, the hare began to imagine (what? - to speak with the child), but still the Hare figured out what to do with himself and got rid of anxiety. Show how the mother praised the baby for courage upon her return.

In the event that the baby is afraid of strangers, you can play scenes about the “Lost”: The puppy went for a walk with the owner and ... got lost. It is important to fix the child's attention at the moment when the puppy was lost, to say what he felt. Older kids can be asked to depict with facial expressions and gestures how the puppy was frightened, fell into despair. Be sure to discuss the reason why the puppy was lost. Maybe he ran ahead or, on the contrary, lost his mind, lagged behind the owner? Follow Waif's adventures further by telling how the terrified Waif met some kind characters who helped him find his way home. Events should be positive, and the surrounding people or animals, perceived by the puppy at first as a source of threat, should be wonderful and responsive.

By the way

The lack of fear of strangers at the age of one or two may be a sign of autism. Little autistic people without fear go into the arms of strangers, but only because they do not divide people into “relatives” and “outsiders”. Such kids do not notice the absence of their parents, they live, as if in a vacuum, not letting even their relatives into their “world”.

Autism is a serious mental and emotional development child, it is desirable to identify him on early stages. If a baby at 9–12 months does not respond to the appearance of strangers, does not reach out to his mother, does not look into the eyes of adults, does not show interest in communication, contact a neuropsychiatrist.

Personal opinion

Alexey Lysenkov:

- As an actor, I know: nothing will liberate a child like games, best of all - acting. Give children to acting children's studios: the result will not keep you waiting!

As I encountered this problem, I searched the entire Internet in search of an answer to the questions - is this normal, do I need to do something about it and when will it pass. Found answers. I will briefly write what the essence and the matter is. Might be useful for someone too...

At the age of 7-8 months, babies begin to experience another “crisis”. I deliberately wrote this word in quotation marks, as some psychologists argue that it is wrong to call this stage of development a crisis. It's perfect new stage in social and intellectual development child. It lasts up to 3 years in boys and 2.5 in girls. But, of course, the manner of its manifestation is changing: if at 7-8 months a baby cries at the sight of a stranger, then after a year it will most likely just be shy. Why is this happening? It is at this age that a child either learns to love or not. First of all, he loves his mother or the person who constantly looks after him. The appearance of a stranger, who, as a rule, still does not look like a mother, subconsciously causes fear in the child that he will be separated from his mother, that he will be harmed. Persuasion at this moment will not work - the fear is subconscious.

There is another significant explanation. It is at this age that the child learns to move (crawl, walk). But intellectually, he is not yet developed enough to make his route safe, get far away from his mother and be able to stand up for himself. Therefore, nature has thought of everything - the child is afraid of subconscious level to lose my mother, hence the fear of being alone in the room, and the fear of strangers.

It turns out that by evaluating the intellectual and social development child, it is also taken into account whether the child has a fear of strangers. If there is, then this is a big fat plus. But there are also such children who by nature quickly find mutual language with a stranger: it is enough for them to look at a stranger for a short time, hear his voice - and that's all, he is his own. It's really a talent given by nature to be flexible in dealing with other people. This is not the merit of education. But do not confuse this with the lack of fear of strangers. You can check whether this is a talent or a considerable minus in the development of a child if you go into an unfamiliar (namely unfamiliar - this is important!) Office in which a stranger should sit. A person should quickly get up at the sight of a child, come up and take the child from his mother in his arms. All this quickly without saying a word. if a child is afraid of a stranger, then there is fear, of course ...

It is believed that this stage begins to appear at the age of 7-8 months. But the numbers here may vary, as each child is individual. Often such fear begins to manifest itself at 9 and 10 months, for example ...

How to behave? Do not force the child to communicate with those whom he is afraid of. You need to give him a sense of protection, give him the opportunity to watch a new person from the side, then let the child touch the stranger himself (if you see that the child is ready for this). Perhaps it is worth for some period to refuse trips to crowded places. Remember, all this will pass! The very peak of such fear, as a rule, is short-lived! Visiting relatives and friends should be warned in advance so that they are not in a hurry to hug the baby and take him in his arms.

Well, that's all! Sometimes what at first scares or just worries is a huge leap in the development of our children, the main thing is to know about it and understand your baby! Health to your kids! =)

Time is fleeting. So, it would seem that just yesterday the baby was very tiny, slept all day long, and now with each new day he becomes noticeably older, his skills are improving. He has already learned to sit, take toys on his own and so on. But along with useful skills that touch parents, various phobias can also develop.

. Under what category "strangers" not only complete strangers can get in, but also close relatives (grandparents living far away), family friends, neighbors. No need to worry about it normal process that accompanies any growing up. The rudiments of character are formed in the baby and the psyche begins to be established.

As a rule, the first children's fears fall on the eight-month-old age of the little one. This is due to the fact that given period the baby has learned to recognize his own, especially his mother, and on an instinctive level, the fear of losing her is mixed in. After all, a mother for a baby is at that moment the center of the universe. She feeds him, cradles, clothes, bathes and surrounds him with care from all sides. Therefore, seeing a stranger, the baby starts crying. He is overcome by the fear of being left without a mother. Gradually, with the maturation of the crumbs, the phobia develops into ordinary shyness or disappears altogether. And only in extreme cases, children's fears are reborn into hypertrophied forms.

For example, a child plays with enthusiasm at home, but when he sees the guests, he begins to act up, cry. Often crying can turn into a real tantrum, the child tries to hide behind his mother or hide in his room. Psychologists call these children too shy. At a young age (up to a year), the phobia often manifests itself in tears, while in older children it is expressed in complete disregard for "foreign" person. On the one hand, it’s very good when the baby is really afraid strangers and does not engage in dialogue with them. But when the kid ranks "strangers" brings close relatives and refuses to make contact with them, parents begin to sound the alarm.

Why is a child afraid of strangers?

All children's fears of babies up to a year old are based on the fear of losing their mother. As soon as the mother disappears from the field of view of the crumbs, he often feels panic. The reaction of the crumbs is not conscious, but has only an instinctive motive. The projection of this situation is further superimposed on outsiders. When a toddler notices someone in sight "foreign", then the instinct of self-preservation immediately works, that this someone will take away mom or cause harm. And it doesn't matter to the little one "foreign" in his understanding is, for example, dad, who works on a rotational basis and is often absent from home on duty. "Alien" there may be grandparents who live in another city or just occasionally come to visit. The result is often the same - the baby's chin trembles, tears flow and a prolonged roar is heard, while he desperately grabs his mother with his hands.

But there are also cases when the baby is not afraid of everyone, but singles out a certain group of people. They may be only children, or adults of a certain gender, and perhaps the baby is frightened by the noise of the crowd.

It is important for parents to remember that if a child is afraid of strangers, then there is no need to go to extremes and sow panic. This is a normal and natural reaction. An important point in such a situation, something else appears, namely, how adults, especially mother, react to fears. It will depend on the mother's reaction to children's fears further development events - whether the baby will remain closed, whether his phobias will feed and grow into something more or disappear without a trace. Most importantly, the mother should make it clear to the baby that she will not leave him under any circumstances and will always come to his aid.

Psychologists Explain Fear "strangers" the fact that the baby instinctively feels that he himself will not be able to stand up for himself, just as he can do without his mother.

Very often, after a two-year period, the fear of strangers recedes. But this feature does not apply to all children, some, excessive shyness accompanies all their lives. This may lie in the wrong behavior of adults for children's fears, or it may simply be a character trait at the gene level.

Sometimes fears do not leave the child because of some traumatic event. The kid remembered the sick injection in the clinic and all people in white coats are now associated with pain.

If the fears have not gone away and a child at 2 years old is afraid of strangers, then this can be very affected. vicious circle communication. For example, a baby always plays only with his mother or other relatives, and when he goes outside, he is unlikely to want to make contact with other people and even children. It will seem to the baby that strangers are unlikely to be of interest to him. But another option is also possible, when the child will simply be shy or show aggression due to his ignorance of how to behave correctly and how to be friends with others. Then the kid can enthusiastically pick up toys for playing on the street, but when he comes to the playground and sees a crowd of children, he simply becomes shy and asks to leave from there. He may show curiosity and a desire to play with peers, but shyness will kill all other feelings and desires.

A child may be afraid of strangers (adults), but if his development meets all standards, then he should not avoid other children. Usually in any age period children are comfortable with each other. If parents notice how their child avoids other children, then they should pay closer attention to this. Perhaps his alienation from children is due to the fact that the child once received resentment from peers or older children. Therefore, for the crumbs, all other children are correlated with negative emotions that the baby does not want to repeat.

Sometimes a child's fears are rooted in fear large cluster people. Whether it is a holiday on the square, a large store, a theater and other crowded places.

Psychologists have defined such fears - demophobia. Such situations can concern not only babies, but also children of preschool and school age. It happens that a child easily communicates with peers in kindergarten, but when organizing a matinee or other holiday, he panics and feels anxiety instead of fun. According to psychologists, children with disturbed personal space suffer from such problems.

It also happens that the baby is not just afraid of strangers, but only a certain gender. Often, fear is accompanied by a relatively male. Psychologists attribute this to incomplete family when the baby is raised by one mother or when there is a father in the family, but he acts as a tyrant, causing physical or psychological harm to the baby or mother. Fear of women is not so common, but there are such cases. They are connected when the mother of the crumbs is unspeakably strict, rude at times, or vice versa, very anxious and fearful. Any manifestation of such fear in relation to a woman / man must be eliminated with the help of a specialist psychologist. Otherwise, in the future, the child may have difficulties with the opposite sex.

How to help if the child is afraid of strangers

Psychologists assure that if adults have recognized the child's difficulties in perceiving "strangers", then this means that the problem is already half solved. First of all, the parents themselves must accept this fact that their baby is shy and fearful and not be ashamed of it.

The tactics of parents when their child cries at the sight of strangers

There is no need to turn a blind eye to the discomfort of the child, and even more so to try to “break” his fears. All attempts to forcefully introduce the baby to others can only aggravate the situation. At the same time, the child may become even more withdrawn into himself and isolate himself from others.
Parents, as tactfully as possible, should help the baby overcome all anxieties. Often the further depends on the parental reaction. social adaptation baby. When a child feels dissatisfaction and disapproval from the parental side, he will grow insecure. Further, such sensations will smoothly flow into complexes for life. If the baby will feel sincere care and parental involvement, then this will form him as a self-confident person, devoid of fears.
In no case should you compare your child with other more sociable children. This will result in low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness.
The baby is very sensitive, so when a stranger approaches, mom should not worry about the behavior of the crumbs. Otherwise, this excitement will be transmitted to the child very quickly and the crying reaction will not be long in coming.
If guests visit the home, then you do not need to fence off the crumbs and take him away to a separate room.

What to do if the child cries at the sight of strangers

Time is the best cure for fear. All children are different and therefore each needs individual time to get used to the appearance and voice of a stranger. Some children will need a few hours, while others will need several meetings with this stranger. Moreover, the intervals between meetings should not be too long. A woman can call guests in advance and warn about the difficult temperament of the crumbs. So, visiting relatives will be warned about fears and will not impose their communication on the baby, pick him up and so on. In the future, when he gets used to it, he himself will be drawn to new interesting acquaintances.

Mom can choose a tactile tactic of communicating with the baby in front of strangers, namely, take him in her arms, hug him, strokes on the head and back are welcome. This will calm the baby and give him confidence. Mom should carefully monitor her facial expressions and gestures when communicating with strangers (smile, speak in an even and calm tone). This will show the child that these people do not pose a danger. A mother can unobtrusively introduce her child to other children herself. But this should be done with caution and in no case put pressure on the crumbs. Mom should try to convey to the child that new acquaintances carry a lot of new and interesting things.

When a child’s attacks of fear border on hysteria and panic, then you definitely need to go to meet him. Psychologists advise not to send such a baby to a nursery early and not to leave him without preparation with a nanny.

When a child is afraid of a large crowd of people, then for a while it is worth limiting visits to crowded places. But this does not mean that they should be completely excluded from children's perception. You need to start small, take the baby to those places where it will be of interest to him, and not to adults, in the first place. At the same time, you should not forget about hugs, encouragement, and you should definitely tell the baby that he does not need to be so shy of others, because they are all busy with their own business.

Mom can take the baby in her arms and try to get to know other mothers and their babies during a walk. As a rule, the child will be comfortable in the arms of the mother and he will not feel fear of strangers. In the future, he will postpone that other children do not pose a threat and you can be friends with them and have fun.

There is no doubt that shyness in a child can be a character trait, but if fears turn into constant tantrums, then parents should seek help from a psychologist. Sometimes hypertrophied forms of fear can be pathologies in the activity of the nervous system.

To prevent children's fears, psychologists recommend that parents spend as much time as possible playing with their child. This does not include the time when the mother is doing housework, and the baby is trampling nearby in a crib or playpen. It is necessary to develop the baby, read books to him, play, draw, sculpt crafts.

It has been noticed that in families with soft mothers and very mobile fathers, children are less anxious and prone to fear. The ideal option it will be when mom and dad will perceive the duties of raising the crumbs together and with great responsibility, and not throw it off each other as a burden.

fairy tale therapy

To eliminate fears, the method of fairy tale therapy is well suited. After all, moralizing will do little to help, while visual fabulous example will set the baby in the right way. The child will be able to look at his fears from the outside and be freed from them.

There is a wonderful fairy tale about a baby elephant who really wanted to make friends, but was embarrassed to approach anyone. But in the end, he nevertheless overcame his fears, made friends with the others and they had fun. Such a fairy tale will help the child become more confident and show him that it is not at all scary to approach other children for acquaintances and games.

Game therapy

Game therapy- another good example of how easily you can save the baby from fears. The right games will help the baby to freely express his thoughts and outwit stiffness and isolation. Play therapy is based on playing life situations that cause fear.

For example, a teddy bear goes to a concert where there are a lot of people or a bunny is afraid to meet the rest, but in the end he gets to know each other and everyone plays together merrily.

When the baby feels anxiety when visiting the doctor, you can play in the hospital. On sale you can find toy medical devices, sew a doll white bathrobe or just ask the baby to treat their toys. Over time, the baby realizes that there are no reasons for panic and will cease to be afraid of all doctors indiscriminately. You can read a book about Aibolit with colorful illustrations or watch a cartoon.

Games will help get rid of complexes and conciseness "Understand me" or "Whose walk". In the first case, the mother reads a book, and the baby depicts the emotions of the characters. In the second case, the child alternately with the adult depicts different gaits (a cat, a baby, an old woman, a baby elephant).

Doctor Komarovsky does not attribute shyness to negative quality. The doctor warns parents against saying: “Why are you so shy?”, “Why are you silent, you were asked?”. Thus, by saying this to their child, parents proceed from respect for the adults who turned to the child, but do not realize that they are harming their own crumbs. The child will feel that his parents are unhappy with him, that he is doing something bad, and as a result, he can withdraw into himself. Parents need to focus as little as possible on the shyness of the child, and as they grow up, all fears will go away by themselves.

Be that as it may, you need to perceive and accept your child as he is. And most importantly, seeing his worries, you do not need to make fun of them and leave the child alone with them. Be attentive and caring, and then all problems will move to another plane and completely outlive themselves.

Many parents are faced with the fact that a child who calmly contacts and communicates with other people suddenly has unfounded fears. At the sight of a stranger, he runs and clings to his relatives, trying to hide. This behavior can appear in children as young as 8 months old. In psychology, it is called "fear of strangers."

Why is the child afraid of other children?

The behavior of a child who is afraid of other children is similar in most cases. Parents note that, at first, he willingly goes for a walk, takes toys with him with a desire to play with other children. The closer they get to playground, the more anxious the baby's mood becomes.

At the sight of children playing on the playground and hearing their voices, he may refuse to go to play, arguing that “It’s already busy there” or “I don’t want to play, there are already other children there.” At the same time, he clings to his mother, or hides behind her.

It is obvious that the baby has a desire to play with the same children, but the fear is great . He gets the better of the desire to play together.

Why is this happening?

The reasons may be different. Often, the fear of other children comes from the fact that the baby does not know:

what to do with other children;
how to play with them;
how to communicate;
what can and cannot be done;
how to ask or defend your toy.

AT this case important on initial stage development to help overcome simple children's problems together with parents.

Important! Up to 3 years, the baby communicates more with adults, and learns from them the rules of behavior and manipulation various subjects. Everything that happens around him “absorbs” like a sponge.

From the age of 3, according to experts, there is a need to play with other children. At this age, babies begin to learn how to apply the information received. Usually this role-playing games, and they need a partner for this game.

In their games, they, imitating adults, reproduce what they saw from others or on TV. Further, while playing, they communicate with each other.

By the age of four, the need for communication comes to the fore. But do not forget that each child is individual in terms of the pace of development. It also happens that he has not “grown up” to this stage.

Reasons for a child's fear of strangers

At the age of 6-7 months, the baby has an anxious period when he is afraid of strangers. He clearly distinguishes "his own", and expresses dissatisfaction with the presence of "strangers". This is usually manifested when a stranger wants to take him in his arms. The kid is afraid, cries, can scream even at those moments when a stranger tries to come closer.

Such a reaction at this age is rather a pattern. And you can explain it like this - a person who takes care of a baby is a guarantor of safety for him.

Psychologists have noticed that the child's fear of strangers also depends on the emotional state of the mother. That is, the baby reads the reaction instinctively from the mother's expressed anxiety to the appearance of a stranger.

If at the sight of familiar people you show sincere joy, then the baby will trust this person and will not worry in his presence. So that this period does not last long time teach him to communicate with other people. In the future, when the baby goes to Kindergarten, she will easily get used to the team. And then she will not have difficulties in adapting to school. Sometimes the period of fear of strangers can last until the age of two.

Where does the children's fear of doctors come from?

Often in a children's clinic, you can see how a mother and son or daughter are waiting for a doctor's appointment, and the baby bursts into tears and with all his appearance shows dislike for people in white coats. What is the reason for the children's fear of doctors?

If during past visits to the doctor he caused pain to a young patient, then most likely this can cause fear. At a subsequent visit, the child will be afraid to experience similar painful sensations.

Important to install positive contact when meeting with a doctor.

Young children are generally strongly attached to their parents. When a stranger starts touching the stomach and touching the body with a cold stethoscope, this will at least cause bewilderment on the part of the baby.

Sometimes doctors, due to their heavy employment or fatigue, do not behave very tactfully or even rudely. In any patient, this will cause a negative reaction. In this case, you need to point out to the doctor about mistakes in the methods of work or contact another specialist.

The cause of children's fear can also be the fear of being alone.

Table: norms of a child's fear of other children, strangers, etc., causes of fears

How to deal with a child's fears and where to turn: expert advice

Among the parents there are different opinions about children's fears. Some believe that by the age of sixteen, all existing fears should pass, and there is no need to worry about it ahead of time. Others argue that their children should not be afraid of anyone or anything at all. Opinions are different, but they all come down to one thing: if fears do not allow you to live in peace, you need to fight them.

The first thing to do is not turn away from the baby . Don't tell him: "Shame on you, he's so big already!" Such phrases will not reduce the feeling of fear, but will only make him feel guilty. The child will not want to contact you next time, and his fears will dig deep into the subconscious, which can only aggravate the situation.
Support your son or daughter stressful situation . Tell us that you, too, were afraid of someone as a child. It is not necessary to explain: "Baba Yaga does not exist", he himself realizes this with age. Ask him about fears. Seeing your support, he will not be so afraid.
Talk about fears . Determine together what the child is afraid of and possible cause fear. Discuss what needs to be done to get rid of fears or reduce them. But do not take drastic measures, otherwise he will think that the fears are justified.
Be confident and show it to your baby . He needs support from outside. loved one: “I won’t let you hurt”, “I’m there”, “I’ll help”. Talk about how he can handle it, and you will support him in this.
If fears interfere with the baby, and he does not sleep well, he has become aggressive , as well as removed from society, immediately seek help from child psychologist or a psychotherapist.

Cast out children's fears with your child! Be closer to your baby and it will bring you a good result!

Many young parents are sincerely surprised that their child is afraid of new people who have come to the house or just come up on the street.

The problem of fear of strangers occurs around the age of 8-10 months. When a child, accustomed to mother and father, begins to get nervous, act up and cry at the sight of a new person.

Why is the child afraid of strangers?

Fear of strangers is closely related in babies with the fear of losing their mother. This fear is subconscious and therefore no persuasion will have an effect.

A child at the subconscious level feels that a stranger can deprive him of his mother and harm him. Moreover, relatives or even a father can also be referred to as “strangers”, if the child does not see him often. And if mom is not around, then the appearance of a “stranger” can cause him a real tantrum. Sometimes a child can even

How to deal with fear?

There is no need to ignore the child's fear, if the child is afraid of strangers, the mother should help him cope with his problems. Mom must understand that pushing a child to communicate with "strangers" can only harm the baby.

by the most right decision this problem will be time. Just give your child some time to get used to the voice and appearance of a new person.

If a one year old baby afraid of strangers, it is worth accustoming the child to their presence gradually. The baby feels safe only in the arms of his mother, so on the handles the child will be able to get to know a new person faster and more decisively.

Show by example that the baby has nothing to fear. If a child is afraid of strangers, then he should see that his mother is friendly and smiling with a stranger, then he will begin to get used to it and will understand that the “stranger” does not pose a danger to him.

Keep in mind that the time for "acquaintance" is individual for everyone. Some inquisitive children are ready to immediately climb into the arms of a stranger, others take several hours. Still others get used to the "stranger" in just a few visits.

If a one-year-old child is afraid of strangers on the street, if it causes him stress, then mom should introduce the baby to other people during a walk. Just take him by the hand or in your arms and go to other kids, because the baby is not so afraid to get acquainted with the same children as him. In addition, this will help him to be more trusting of other women with children.

If the child is afraid of doctors

Many children, in addition to the fear of strangers, begin to get nervous and cry at the sight of doctors, and sometimes even after a visit to the clinic, the baby is difficult to calm down.

To make visiting the doctor less traumatic for the child, teach him to play "hospital". Buy toy medical instruments, make a white coat for your favorite toy, or have your child treat them himself. Show your child what doctors usually do in the clinic. Let him see that doctors are not to be feared.

Read to him a fairy tale about Aibolit and imagine going to the doctor with something like a game.

If a one-year-old child is afraid of strangers, do not panic. Usually, after a year and a half, the fear goes away, and the baby is happy to communicate with new people. However, the mother must help him cope with this disease.

The site for moms, the site strongly recommends that young mothers do not leave the baby alone with his fear. Don't ignore your child's reaction to strangers. Be sure to work on this issue. Today you will help him, and tomorrow the baby will be able to overcome his fear. Stimulate your child with encouragement, be sure to celebrate all, even minor, his achievements.

Surprisingly, in a family where mom is soft and dad is quite active, children are usually less anxious, and therefore less prone to fear. During this period, parents should try not to be absent for a long time.

The most useful for the baby will be the option of education when mom and dad are all free time give the child and not to shift the care of him to nannies or grandmothers.

If a one-year-old child is afraid of strangers, and one cannot do without an assistant, then the child should be accustomed to a new person in advance. First, such communication should take place with the obligatory presence of the mother. Then, left alone with a new person, the child will not experience stress or even fear.

And of course, the most important thing is to carefully monitor emotional state baby. If a child is afraid of strangers, do not force him to communicate with them, do not leave him alone with a stranger. And remember, all the problems of an adult come from childhood, and fear not experienced in time can negatively affect adult life. Do not leave your child alone with your fear, be attentive and caring, and then your child will easily outgrow any problem.