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From: leo@cca.UUCP (Louise Osterman)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: Small Children and Nightmares
Message-ID: <5908@cca.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 30-Jan-86 12:48:11 EST
Article-I.D.: cca.5908
Posted: Thu Jan 30 12:48:11 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Feb-86 05:46:56 EST
References: <2845@wateng.UUCP> <765@gamma.UUCP>
Organization: Computer Corp. of America, Cambridge
Lines: 33

> I'm interested to know if any parents out there have small children you have
> nightmares and are afraid to go to sleep at night.  I have a 5 year old who
> all of a sudden is afraid to go to sleep.  Every night for about 2 weeks she
> has been coming to get into bed with us.  I'm all for the family bed and have
> no objections for the most part but I am concerned about her being too
> frightened to go to sleep even when she is very tired.
> 
> I've tried giving her extra attention thinking that she is feeling insecure,
> she is not allowed to watch any scary on TV (although some cartoons can be
> frightening), she has a nightlight in her room, plus the added light from the
> kitchen that she insist be on throughout the night, and she sleeps in the
> same room with my 3 year old son, so she is not alone.
> 
> I've searched my mind for answers to what the problem could be and come up
> with nothing.  So I'm at a stalmate now and need some suggestions. 
> Is there anyone out there who has gone through this?  Is there anything else
> I can do to make her feel secure.  Is this a passing phase that all children go
> through.  Thanks in advance for your help.
> 
>             Barbara Charles


Have you ASKED your 5-year old what is bothering her?  As I recall growing up,
this was about the age when one of my friends started telling me stories 
about bogeymen and snakes under the bed.  It was real scary and I was afraid
of the dark for longer than I will publicly admit to.  

Good luck with finding the reason!

Louise E. Osterman
Computer Corporation of America