Last week, when we were in Disneyland, not everything was enjoyable for Denice. Denice has always been very fearful of animals, and during that trip to Disneyland she did not want to go on any of the rides. The few that she got on, she did not realize they were going to freak her out.
We took her on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride which was loud, dark and filled with characters from the movie. We took her on the Soaring ride, and she closed her eyes and cried the whole time she was on that ride. We went on the Monster Inc. because we told her it was not that frightening. She didn’t really enjoy the ride but at least she didn’t cry! We also went on the Adventureland ride with snapping alligators suddenly rising out of the water that spooked Denice. She was not very happy during that ride.

She did not want to go on any more rides after that. Not the carousel, not the Dumbo rides, and forget about taking the Pinocchio ride and Snow White Scary Adventures ride!

She did, however, enjoy the Tiki Room, the Aladdin stage show, and the sail boat ride round the lake.


My sister-in-law even suggested that I take Denice to a psychologist to be evaluated. She thinks that at Denice’s age the fears seemed irrational. I don’t think so. She is just not that adventurous and I believe she will outgrow these fears.
I found the following excerpt helpful in understanding fears, anxiety, and phobias in children. It was taken from kidshealth.org.
Parents can help children develop the skills and confidence to overcome fears so that they don’t evolve into phobic reactions. Here are some steps that may help guide you in helping your child deal with his or her fears and anxieties:
* Recognize that the fear is real. As trivial as a fear may seem, it feels real to your child and it’s causing him or her to feel anxious and afraid. Being able to talk about fears helps - words often take some of the power out of the negative feeling. If you talk about it, it can become less powerful.
* Never belittle the fear as a way of forcing your child to overcome it. Telling your child, “Don’t be ridiculous! There are no monsters in your closet!” may get your child to go to bed, but it won’t make the fear go away.
* Don’t cater to fears, though. If your child doesn’t like dogs, don’t cross the street deliberately to avoid one. This will just reinforce that dogs should be feared and avoided. Provide support and gentle care as you approach the feared object or situation with your child.
* Teach your child how to rate fear. If your child can visualize the intensity of the fear on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the strongest, he or she may be able to “see” the fear as less intense than first imagined. Younger children can think about how “full of fear” they are, with being full “up to my knees” as not so scared, “up to my stomach” as more frightened, and “up to my head” as truly petrified.
* Teach coping strategies. Try these easy-to-implement techniques. Using you as “home base,” the child can venture out toward the feared object, and then return to you for safety before venturing out again. The child can also learn some positive self-statements, such as “I can do this” and “I will be OK,” which your child can say to himself or herself when feeling anxious. Relaxation techniques are helpful as well, including visualization (of floating on a cloud or lying on a beach, for example) and deep breathing (imagining that the lungs are balloons and letting them slowly deflate).
The key to resolving fears and anxieties is to overcome them. Using these suggestions, you can help your child better cope with life’s situations.
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