Indifference, dislike or phobia? And how to react to this behavior of the child.
A child can have both an explainable fear (scared or attacked by a dog), and an irrational one - when the child himself cannot explain why he is afraid, and adults do not find an apparent reason.
Also, there may be simply dislike or indifference to animals - no one is obliged to love them (but to live in peace and not offend - is obliged, the child should also know this).
How to react to parents if the child is afraid of the animal
1. You can't discount your fear. It is not so important why he is afraid, as the fact that this is happening at all. To tell a child that “there is no need to be afraid” or “this is all nonsense” is not only useless, but frankly harmful.
2. Talk about the cause of the fear. The younger the child, the more difficult it is and the longer it will take. But carefully and without pressure it is quite possible to explain to the child where the truth ends and conjectures begin.3. Turn on your fantasy. It is pointless to go ahead and force a child to communicate with dogs of which he is afraid. Much more willingly, he will follow the example of his peer. Who, for example, has his own dog. This will make it easier for the child to face the fear.
4. Can't use coercion. It will not work the way you imagine it to work anyway. The child will develop negative emotions associated with animals.
You will also be interested to read:
- What to do if a child is afraid to make a mistake
- 10 secrets of ideal parents - how to better understand children
- 9 most useful parenting skills
