Parents...I need your honest input...?

Question

My nephews are going through some kind of trauma and fear after
watching "Freddie Vs. Jason" the movie, and now they have started wetting the bed and they can't even go to the bathroom or any dark places by themselves. My nephews' babysitter let them
watch the movie on Halloween (she's now fired).

Has anyone had this happened to your kids and how you dealt with it? Thank you.

their ages are 5 and 6 years; and I didn't fired the sitter, my sister did because now
their school is concern about their well being.

Answer 1

I say be there for your children with support. Not knowing how old they are I still think you should be with them and make dark things cool. Like decorate things in glow in the dark stuff. Games like making a hide out under a table (blanket hanging over the edges) where they can be the ones to decide when to go in. Go in with them and have fun. Have it in a lit room, at first. Maybe when it starts getting darker out they will still have the courage to go in. Be by their side when they go to the bathroom and let them know there is no such thing in real life. Talk to them. Maybe you had a phobia when u were a small girl. Tell them about it so it can help them relate. Let them know there is nothing wrong with the way they are feeling. Children have growing imaginations and they can go wild at times. Hold their hands, comfort them until they are comfortable. Try to go a bit further each day. You need to listen to them both vocally and body language too! They will let you know their comfort zones. Just like a very young child would with any other phobias. Support, comfort, and learning by example. LOTS OF LOVE and PATIENCE! I am not a specialist, but have worked with many children. If no answers are found may I suggest their family doctor for referral.

Answer 2

Yipes!

Well, it's too late to undo it. You don't say how old they are but you should try to stress to them the difference between "real" and "make-believe." In time this will pass.

My dad took me to see The Changeling when I was very young and I was terrified of wheelchairs and bathtubs for about six weeks, then I got over it. Now I LOVE scary movies and have since I was 14 or so. Just reassure them that it was all made up - maybe show them a video about how they do the makeup and special effects for these shows, and let them have a nightlight for a while. Don't make a big deal of the bedwetting unless it continues for a long time.

Also let the babysitter's parents know why you fired her - it was bad judgement but she should know the reason she was canned and so should her parents.

And tell your niblings that they can call you any hour of the day or night if they get scared. My nephew has me on speed-dial for when the "white snakes" are under his bed (he is three.)

Answer 3

When I was younger I always had nightmares but I never wet the bed..for some reason I would wake up in the middle of the night throwing up because I was so scared and so shaken...but then realized its not real.Its like halloween with costumes and makeup but on a movie with story form.For about a year I had to sleep with a nightlight and slowly dozing off while listening to soft music and a stuffed animal or baby blanket.[safety blanket]

Answer 4

Well try a night light for a while, my 8 year old still uses one even to my objections.
You might have to try to explain the movie isn't real only fake for a small kids tha is really hard.
Try not to give them anything to drink before they go to bed and use the restroom before bed time.
It may just take some time, try to give tham something that will make them feel secure, even if you have to sleep in the room on the floor or cot.

Answer 5

yes i have dealt with this before especially with power ranger
that really scare my 2 little girls a lot i ma single dad of 2 little girls 4- 5 so this is what i did after talking to some parents at nite i put them to bed and took a flask lite in the bed room with the kids and we look under the bed and in the closet to make sure there way nothing there then i turn on a soft light in the bed room and soft music that they like there is all kind of radio station you can choose from any thing to keep there mind off of ( freddy ) if they listen to music they well sing to it and fall to sleep but for the first week i sleep in the room with them on the floor in a sleeping bag next to there bed and talk to them and they felt a lot better after that.then after a week or two they got over it but they still like the light on and the radio playing and that how i dealt with it.

Answer 6

The best way to deal with that in my opinion is by getting them up once or twice a night to potty. It will give them a chance to take care of business, and a chance for you to show them that the dark holds nothing to fear. After 3 or 4 nights constant of this should do the trick.

Answer 7

Well you have to be patient and talk to them about what happened. Alow them to sleep with a nightlight or take a flashlight to bed. Go online and show them just how fake the movie was!

Answer 8

show the movies again, and this time be with them - all enjoying the movie...afterwards, show them how movie special effects are done. now available in movie dvds' as commentaries...goto your local library and borrow books on how-to make special effect make-up and in cable tv, there's the E channel, that explains how special effects are done. later on, perhaps make a small movie yourselves..goto to the library, borrow a book on the real story of halloween...hope this helps.

Answer 9

yea it happened to my neices they just slept with the light on for awile and gave them some good movies to get their minds off that subject.

Answer 10

Why don't you let the boys parents deal with this? It might be considered intereference if you provide advice.