I can't blame kids for being afraid of the dark. The dark is scary and full of unknowns, and all of this is magnified by the imagination of a child. If you can't see around you, then all you can do is imagine what is there, and children tend to go a little crazy with it because they can't really rationalize that there obviously is not a hairy monster under their bed, a bad guy hiding in the closet, or a ghost in that corner. When there's no light there to prove to them that they are wrong, why should they believe otherwise? They don’t have the ability to reason based off of knowledge and experience like adults do, and even as an adult I can say that I have a hard time reasoning in the dark!
My four-year-old is somewhat afraid of the dark. I personally am not a big fan of pitch black myself. I actually have a pretty bright nightlight in my own bedroom just because I find it irritating to wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to see anything. Plus I am more comfortable waking up from a disturbing dream if it isn't super dark in my room. Hey, I‘m only human! It's just comforting to wake up and be able to see a dim version of your surroundings, with nothing left up to the imagination.
My older son has a rotating light up pretend aquarium that sits on the dresser in his room. His room isn't bright or anything, but you can see around when you're in there, and the aquarium displays cute little patterns on the ceiling as it goes around. I barely ever have a problem with him being nervous in the dark, but I think the one thing that helps him the most is that I gave him a Spiderman flashlight that he can turn on and off and use to look around as he pleases. It’s very important to him; he takes it to bed with him every night. I think it's a huge comfort for him, especially considering he has control over where he shines the light. Both of those things eliminate any need to use his imagination when determining what might be in the shadows, and he is so comfortable and reassured of his surroundings at night!
A lot of parents tend to think that a night light is a crutch, or a dependency, and that it’s something that all kids need to grow out of and eventually get rid of. I personally believe that it’s actually very reasonable for kids to want to be able to see their surroundings at night, and parents spend less time dealing with night time anxieties.
My four-year-old is somewhat afraid of the dark. I personally am not a big fan of pitch black myself. I actually have a pretty bright nightlight in my own bedroom just because I find it irritating to wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to see anything. Plus I am more comfortable waking up from a disturbing dream if it isn't super dark in my room. Hey, I‘m only human! It's just comforting to wake up and be able to see a dim version of your surroundings, with nothing left up to the imagination.
My older son has a rotating light up pretend aquarium that sits on the dresser in his room. His room isn't bright or anything, but you can see around when you're in there, and the aquarium displays cute little patterns on the ceiling as it goes around. I barely ever have a problem with him being nervous in the dark, but I think the one thing that helps him the most is that I gave him a Spiderman flashlight that he can turn on and off and use to look around as he pleases. It’s very important to him; he takes it to bed with him every night. I think it's a huge comfort for him, especially considering he has control over where he shines the light. Both of those things eliminate any need to use his imagination when determining what might be in the shadows, and he is so comfortable and reassured of his surroundings at night!
A lot of parents tend to think that a night light is a crutch, or a dependency, and that it’s something that all kids need to grow out of and eventually get rid of. I personally believe that it’s actually very reasonable for kids to want to be able to see their surroundings at night, and parents spend less time dealing with night time anxieties.
