From the author: The article was published in the "Demsky Bulletin" of Ufa on December 10, 2010. Children's fears Feelings of fear Many parents are concerned about the emergence of fears in their children. Fear is a specific acute emotional state, a special sensory reaction that can manifest itself in a dangerous situation. Fear is equally inherent in everyone. It should be noted that in its essence, fear, like other unpleasant experiences (anger, affect, suffering, etc.), is not is clearly dangerous and “harmful” for a child. Childhood fear is a common phenomenon for the mental development of a child. Every healthy person has a feeling of fear, since this ability is of great importance for the preservation of both the human species and the life of an individual organism. Very often, fear protects the child from unnecessary risks, leads away from dangers, regulates and builds behavior. A child who is not afraid of anything and is too open is defenseless in the face of life situations. Fear can be caused by a specific, close, already present danger. However, often the fears of young children are irrational. Such fears are much stronger than real fears, and they are the ones that predominate in early childhood. Young children see the world completely differently. Many events happen to the baby that he cannot understand or keep under control, and strong sensations overwhelm him completely, often frightening him . Fear may be unconscious and cause aggressive behavior in children. How do fears manifest themselves? The manifestations of childhood and teenage fears are very diverse. Some children are characterized by nightmares when the child wakes up crying and calls his mother, demanding that adults sleep with him. Others refuse to stay alone in the room, watch “scary cartoons”, are afraid of the dark, are afraid to go out on the stairs without adults, sometimes fears arise for their parents, children are worried that something will happen to their mom or dad. Causes of fear in children Fear can be caused by a dangerous threatening situation, both real and imaginary. Often, a child’s fear associated with real events in life, which are too painful to think about, is subconsciously replaced by irrational fear. For example, Jenny is afraid of her father's bad mood - and becomes a coward during a thunderstorm; Jeff feels hostility towards the newborn - and talks about the “scary, scary monster” that he dreams about. Fear intensifies with increased anxiety, a weakened sense of security, which is often due to the situation and relationships in the family, the mental characteristics of the child and his parents. It happens that parents, who themselves are afraid of a lot, are not confident in life, children, just like them, often experience fear. The connection between fears and anxiety Let's consider the similarities, differences, and the connection between fears and anxiety. Anxiety, unlike fear, is not directed anywhere, there is no isolated object that causes anxiety. Anxious children experience fears more often than others. Anxious behavior in children can be caused by a traumatic situation for the child or a special his perception of the world around him, when he and the world are one whole. In this case, children do not separate themselves from the environment and the people around them and, accordingly, any changes in the environment frighten the children and seem threatening to them. The degree of anxiety experienced by the child may be associated with the style of his upbringing. Increased parental demands with insufficient consideration of the child’s capabilities , increases anxiety. The child gradually comes to the feeling that he constantly does not meet the requirements, and therefore he is not good enough and does not deserve parental love. At such moments, the baby is especially vulnerable; he is deprived of the most important thing - parental support. Gradually, the child’s experiences can be fixed and become a stable personality trait. The child’s anxiety can also be recorded in a situation of increased protectiveness, excessive care. Then the child develops a feeling of his own insignificance. He begins to think of himself as something very fragile, endlessly.