My five year old daughter is afraid of spiders and I don't mean tarantulas, although those too. She is afraid of all spiders, including the so-called "daddy long legs" that are proven harmless. I have tried explaining to her that they can't hurt her and she shouldn't be scared. I realize the simple solution would be killing them whenever I see them but I feel that only feeds her fear that they are harmful when they are not. She actually refuses to use the bathroom if one is there, what can I do?
2006-07-27 21:44:22 · 13 answers · asked by going_batty 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
Give her a big, heavy shoe. Call it her "killin' shoe" (I had a heavy rubber-soled loafer of my dad's). Tell her that the daddy long legs are harmless and it would be mean to hurt defenseless bugs b/c they have families(that story worked for me). Tell her some spiders are harmless and some can be poisonous (you don't want her thinking all are harmless, we had black widows in the shed in my backyard growing up and when we saw one outside the shed, we'd get our dad or the killin' shoe b/c it was them or us). Tell her to decide if the little ones were really a threat to her or would bite her. Maybe teach her about poisonous spiders? Make it a science lesson. Teach her also about harmless ones. If all else fails, the killin' shoe will help her to not feel scared and helpless. I'm still scared of spiders, but I trained my little dog to kill them and the big dog eats them. It's a beautiful system.
2006-07-27 21:52:15 · answer #1 · answered by mytreacheryiseternal 4 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Have her watch Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends-nice Spiders.
2006-07-27 23:59:28 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You could try getting some science books about common spiders at the library and reading those with her.
Also, there are some good fiction books, the "Miss Spider" series. Maybe she'd see spiders as friends then?
Get a little bug catcher from the store and keep one in it for a while for her to watch?
2006-07-28 02:24:00 · answer #3 · answered by momma2mingbu 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wouldnt want to go to the bathroom if there was a spider in there either and I am a grown woman . She is a five year old little girl and you want her to get over her fear of spiders. There are grown adults that never get over there fears of bugs. Just kill the bugs for her and at five I would not press her to like the spiders.
2006-07-27 22:45:43 · answer #4 · answered by JAYNE C 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if there is a psider in the bathroom.. i will refuse to use it too. I dont know whats wrong with it?!!
Do not overreact your emotion when you see your daughter acts like this.
So clam first! trying to be like her...show you are afraid of spiders too even u are not. ( get her trust )
Then find a time..get a book which is story about "lovely" spider and other animals. and tell & play this story to her. ( of course, tell story about other animals first, then spider)
Trying to make her good imppression on sipders then..
When you "sense" your daughter having lilttle bit difference view on spiders...it will ur time to "educate" your kid what it is appropriate attitude to see spiders.
Hope you can make it. you got change first...your daughter will change by you. :o)
2006-07-27 21:57:25 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why would you want to . Just teach her not to freak out about seeing one, and to call for you when she does.
I raised my daughter in Australia, where anything under 2" tall and moving, could very likely kill you, especially if it "had" 8 legs.
I dont recommend killing them in front of her. This could lead to her thinking it is ok for her to try - We dont want this.
If your up for it. Calmly approach a daddylong legs, and have it walk onto your hand. Then find a "Harmful" spider, and point out the differences. Like small, black and bite.
Daddy's are everywhere, you don't want her "goin' off" any more than neccessary.
You may need to slowly introduce her to the walking on the hand thing, eventually my girl was often entertained by it.
- From a Dads perspective.
2006-07-27 22:05:29 · answer #6 · answered by D 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First of all don't tell her that they can hurt her because a spider bite is a ****** up thing to get specially if it's black widow or a Brown spider bites from those spiders are really painful and cause swelling and redness trust me they hurt bad..
2006-07-27 21:54:40 · answer #7 · answered by MRBOMBBUDS 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am 33 years old.mother of two and still afraid of them.I mean they make me nervous.With my for year old,i just tell him that they don't have teeth to bite.So if he is afraid of something he'll just ask if it has teeth.Insted of killing them,why don't you grab one and throw it out.Tell your daughter that that was a little spider girl,and she had to go home to her mommy.She was just lost.
2006-07-31 21:01:58 · answer #8 · answered by avavu 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
She is just a little girl, she does not understand your adult explanations. Deal with the fact that for now she is afraid of them and when there is one in her vacinity do what you can to get rid of it. YOU are the parent it is up to YOU to protect your child even if it means having to deal with a childish notion of being afriad of spiders...SHE IS A CHILD
2006-07-27 22:34:32 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can't stop her being afraid. You could take her to a therapist to help her overcome the fear, but i wouldn't do that at such a young age, she may grow out of it. Just deal with it for now.
2006-07-27 21:49:21 · answer #10 · answered by vampire_kitti 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋