How Do Children Learn

Source Credit

Source Credit

How Do Children Learn – “Mummy, I’m Scared” – 1 year old

Virtually every toddler is afraid sometimes. It may not be what you are afraid of; it may not be rational from your point of view; and it may not be what you should expect him to be afraid of. Most fears at this age are mild and don’t have any significant impact on a child unless he is actually confronted with the focus of his fear.

Source Credit

i) Imaginative Ability

Your one-year-old vivid imagination develops at a very fast rate, and he can imagine anything about anyone- in his young mind, there are no limits. He can become afraid even when there is no risk to him, because he imagines the danger in his mind.

ii) Powerlessness

He knows that he cannot run away quickly if something frightens him, and he realizes that he is not as strong as people who are older than him. This generates a sense of powerlessness in the face of danger, and renders him more susceptible to fear.

iii) Fantasy

A young child can’t always tell the real world from his fantasy world, resulting in a blurring of boundaries between reality and imagination. Therefore, pretend-play situations can quickly turn into upsetting experiences.

Source Credit

iv) Symbolism

By the age of eighteen months, your toddler is able to visualize an object as though it is something completely different; as far as he is concerned, a shadow can be a monster and a cat can be a ferocious animal.

v) Perspective

The world looks different when you are a child; small objects look large and large objects look terrifying. This makes your toddler aware dangers that you might nit think twice about.

Source Credit

Source Credit

Types of Fear

Common fears include the fear of failure. Virtually every child wants to succeed. If he is afraid of failure, then he may be unwilling to try anything new in case the challenge proves too difficult.

Your toddler may be afraid of losing the love he has. He wants to be loved by you, and the prospect of losing that love is too unpleasant for him to imagine. A child who is generally insecure will be particularly prone to this type of fear (for instance, he cries hysterically at the slightest telling-off from you). Another relationship-based anxiety is the fear of separation – he clings to you when you take him to a friend’s house.

Fear of being hurt is common in toddlers, as is the fear of small animals. Surprisingly, small animals can be more frightening to a young child than large animals. Maybe it is the speed at which small animals scurry about, or that they remind him too much of his favorite soft toy. The same applies to insects, such as spiders, worms, butterflies and crickets.

Source Credit

Source Credit

Show Encouragement and Support

If your toddler is afraid of something, reassure him that he will cope. Keep saying this over and over, in a gentle tone. He gains emotional strength from your confidence in him.

You may be tempted to allow him to avoid his fears, yet he will not learn to overcome his fear if you adopt this strategy. He has to face whatever is making him afraid-with you beside him, of course-so he can see for himself that he can manage. Comfort and soothe him, but don’t let him run and hide.