My 2yr. old sees things that scare him. What can I do to help them go away?

Question

My son started being afraid of the dark outside. If the blinds are open and the back porch light is off he will run jump in my lap and tell me that it is going to get him, while he points out the back door. This happens anytime there is a dark area outside anywhere. Two nights ago he woke up screaming and I found him frozen in his doorway, shaking and screaming. That happened @ 5am. Last night the same thing happened at 430. I pick him up and carried him back to my room. He is saying go away the whole way back to my room. He use to come to my room but now he will not walk past his doorway. I've tried to ask him what he sees but I can't understand him. We have carried him around the yard at home and at friends, following where he was pointing, trying to figure out what he sees. I try to comfort him the best I can but I don't like him being scared like this. I believe in spirits and all of that stuff. I want him to be comfortable in his home and his room. What can I do? Please Help Us!

Answer 1

I know you believe in spirits but explain to him how shadows work. You don't want to freak him out by telling him its a ghost. Show him more then likely with a flashlight, That odd shaped objects can make very strange shapes and appear to move when light moves. If he is convinced its a ghost go get some movies like Casper the friendly ghost.

Answer 2

i am glad you believe in spirits - sometimes if you take a picture you can see something the naked eye cannot see.

sylva browne has a receipt for holly water - put some water in a pail - put it in the sun - and bless it once an our for three hours and sprinkle it around the room

children do see spirits - but many of them are comfortable with it and grown ups usually just dismiss it to their active imagination.

my son had the same experience when he was young - he would scream and cry - i would go in his room - look under the bed - look in the closet and say a prayer out loud for him - something like guardian angles watch over my son tonight and thank them.

now i wish i could of taken it more seriously - i thought it was his imagination - he did not have that problem anywhere but that bed room - although he did talk to imaginary friends at other times - he was not afraid - except that bedroom.

Answer 3

It sounds as if you are experienceing something called "night terrors". Talk to your pediatrician. My daughter would wake up screaming and look straight at us and say things like "I want Mom" and I would keep saying I was there, but she was in her own world. It is like a dream, but not completely. This is a recognized syndrome. Check with your child's doctor for recommendations.

If your child is just having extreme anxiety, you need to find out why. Are there siblings telling scary halloween stories, or is she seeing commercials for inappropriate shows while she is watching her own tv shows? Do not play into the ghost nonsense by offering anti-ghost sprays and bowls of garlic. Be the grown up. Turn on the lights, have her look under beds, and sleep with her IN her room if you have to, but don't get in the habit of her coming into your room. It will be a lifetime habit.

Answer 4

I have heard that placing a bowl of unpeeled garlic (So it doesn't smell up the room) under the bed or on top of the dresser and telling the child that it scares off monsters works wonders. Also, do you have a soft nightlight for his room. Try telling him that the light does the same thing. I actually remember around age 2-3 jumping up out of bed and running out to the living room crying because I was convinced that I saw something under my bed.My parents just yelled at me and told me to go back to bed. I was scared of the dark for years after that.

Answer 5

Hi maybe have motion lights
(lights that turn on when someone or something walks past or gets near ) and show him the lights and how it works . You believe in spirits have you taken your child in to his room to "pray away" the scary things? I agree with the flashlight idea make it fun making different animals with fingers . One more thing.. you believe in spirits what exactly do you mean? At two years old your sons imagination is running wild. Does he watch cartoons before bed? You'd be amazed at such a simple thing could bring on nightmares or night terrors . Also do you talk about/to spirits in your home? Do you have objects which significance in your home? Reason Iam asking that is that it could spook him and his imagination runs with it at night. Final idea have a ''campout'' in his room bring blankets and pillows uncomfortable yes but it worked with mine . Do you have trees outside your house that could bang or scrape against the window? Or loose objects that could be blown around by wind? That wakes me up at night lol

Answer 6

Here's an idea: Take some cute cuddly toys and put them in the backyard or in the dark hallway. Then, when we says something is in the dark, turn on the lights or go into the backyard and show him the cute toys that he found. Maybe that might be enough for him to realize that things look different at night and it's okay. Good luck!

Answer 7

My dauhter started seeing things not long after we moved into our new home...she was 2 then. I did not know what to do...it was weird because she is a good talker and told me in detail about these ladies in her room...she saif they popped out of the wall and that they said they were "farm ladies".....she said they smiled at her and it was obvious she did not like them. I got my husband to sleep in her room to see what happened then...he woke up repeatedly during the week he slept there...seeing strange lights and shadows. He is a sensible man and I knew then that there probably was "something in her room" I went in there and spoke to whatever it was....I asked them to leave because they were making her afraid....I did it repeatedly for a few weeks and now its fine...she sleeps there on her own with no problems...I never admitted to her that I thought her room was haunted...I just told her that she was safe...I never doubted she was....and I never made her sleep in there until she was happy to do so. As a side note, I made some enquiries into the land our house is built on...its a modern house...but around twohundred years ago there was a very large farm and orchard here....there was also a workhouse over the road...its likely that she was seeing the spirits of the women who used to work the land here..they are attracted to children...as living people are....they are innocent and nice to watch....but after I told them firmly to go...they have. Good luck.

Answer 8

If it happens around the same time every night, set your alarm clock so that you can get up about 30 mins. before you expect him to wake up, sit in his room and just watch the area that he is always pointing at, because you may have someone creeping around your house, and scaring your child, then on the other hand, if for some reason there is a spirit, pray for your child and let them know that God will protect them, it can be some many reason why these things are happening, because our eyes do tend to play tricks on us in the dark.

Answer 9

Fill a spray bottle with water or just use febreeze and spray it around the room to keep good things in and bad things out. We had monster spray. It instantly banished all monsters to a far away land forever. We sprayed it under beds, in closets, out the front door! It worked wonders. You may want to get your son a flashlight to have next to his bed or a night light!

Answer 10

Alot of children are afraid of the dark. I was afraid of the dark myself when I was little. If you go into your bedroom at night and turn off all the lights your eyes will end up playing tricks on you eventually, try it yourself. That's what used to scare me when I was younger, and that's most likely what your son is pointing to, his imagination.