Fear in 2 year olds
Fear is a normal and necessary feeling that occurs in children. It is a natural condition that helps them cope with new experiences that are many and to protect themselves from danger. Fears appear very early and the majority of these will disappear little by little as the child feels more confident
Fear is a normal and necessary feeling that occurs in children. It is a natural condition that helps them cope with new experiences that are many and to protect themselves from danger.
Fears appear very early and the majority of these will disappear little by little as the child feels more confident about himself and his surroundings.
What fears a 2 year old can have
- They do not like the dark: Also called Nictofobia, it is characterized by an irrational fear of night or darkness. This childhood fear is completely adaptive within the development of the child therefore it is fully expected and normal at this stage.
Any simple stimulus can cause the child to experience fear of the dark. From a story, an image of a movie can generate fear and uncertainty. In addition, they relate darkness with loneliness and abandonment. All these reasons can be added to the visual distortions that occur in dark environments. Children, unable to do well in the shadows, give dangerous meanings to shadows that do not see clearly.
- Anxiety with wounds: It is a very common fear in children between 2 to 5 years old. At this age, children want to know the reason for everything and are easily anguished. This anguish is not only with one's own wounds but also with what happens to others. If they see an injured person, the first thing they do is ask what happened to them, then put them in their place and they will most likely ask if the same thing could happen to them.
- Still not wanting to separate from their parents: Fear of separation is one of the most characteristic fears of children with one year. It lasts in time manifesting itself in different ways. One of them is the difficulty of saying goodbye to us when we have to leave. Something very common that occurs, for example, at the time of leaving the child in the nursery.
- They get scared with strangers: It is another of the ways that the fear of separation takes. This type of fear is already given from six months of age but lasts over time. Of course, it loses intensity to make room for other types of fears. Faced with this fear, children react in a natural way by clinging to their figure of attachment to strangers or those who have tried very little. It is normal and without extraordinary character. The glasses, beards, strong voices, ... can intimidate the little one. They cause confusion.
- Fear of some animals: Fear of animals is usually present from two years old up to five years old. Any animal can be subject to fear, being dogs and cats the most common, and therefore the most feared. The child not only fears the animal but will also fear what they can do. They can scratch, bite, etc.
The child will only fear some animals and with others will be a "brave". The fear of insects also enters into the fear of animals. It is very likely that this fear reaches adulthood, therefore, it is essential that the child learn to distinguish harmless insects from those that are not.
When to worry about childhood fears
As long as the magnitude of the fears is within what is expected for the child's age, and its intensity does not limit or affect their quality of life, we are witnessing fears that will disappear with the development and not they will have the character of phobias.
The normal thing is that the fear is gradually giving way, however if it persists and its intensity becomes so important that it affects the quality of life of the child, it is advisable to make an orientation consultation with a specialized psychologist.
