My 2.5 year old is petified that monsters are coming..... help please

[stressed2007]

Hi I am hoping that someone can help as am really concerned about my daughter who is 2.5 years old. She is a very outgoing, friendly and bright child. Everyone says how great her conversation is - she is totally fluent etc. From nowhere for the past few day she has got very wierd that "monsters are in the house","are coming to the house"," will get her" etc. We have never even used the word monster round her! Yesterday my husband had to walk her round the whole house to show her there were no monsters. We even had to put a light in her wendy house! This morning on her way to nursery she started the same thing this time about monsters and added in that foxes that were coming to the house. The only fox she knows as far as I know is "swiper" from Dora and she loves Dora. She is getting totally scared about this. I had to lay on the floor of her room while she fell asleep and she was forcing herself to stay awake and said she did n't want to close her eyes etc.

This is so out of character for her. My m-in -law says this is the sort of behaviour you get from children of 4 or 5 so maybe this has come early as she is advanced? I am concerned as I have read children that are abused manifest the abuse as things coming to get them and now I am paranoid about nursery and what may be going on. She is toilet training at the moment and I was wondering if this may be having an effect.

Please can anyone suggest what I can do. I do not understand how comes she is suddenly scared of foxes too. It is heartbreaking seeing her like this. Is this normal or should I seek medical advice and how might I solve it other then reassuring her that there is nothing here? Thanks very much.

[Orinoco]

Message withdrawn

[barking]

Hi Stressed2007 - just wanted to sympathise as my dc3 is doing this with insects at the moment and it's driving us potty!
We are getting there very slowly. Things that have helped have involved singing insect songs, personalising the insects - 'here is grandpa fly looking for granny fly, just popping over to say hello, let say hello! maybe he's lost' etc
We have bought lots of gentle story books about insects and have even bought realistic plastic ones to hold.
I remember a brilliant piece of advice on here that has worked wonders and that has been every time there has been a fly/bee/spider we have strategically placed a chocolate button left behind by the insect as a present for dc3.
Another thought is the book the magic finger (R. Dahl) - maybe help empower your daughter to feel she can cast a magic spell through her finger 'monster be gone!' kind of thing. On occasion he has used a water pistol- you could try this kind of thing sprinkling some monster sparkles etc. to add to the effect....
There is a great book I think it's called 'The Monster Under the Bed' very funny gentle book which reverses the story and lets the child see it from the monster's point of view. I will try and find a link....

[shabster]

A magic wand (from the good fairy) that she can use to do a magic anti monster spell? Some glitter or shiny star stickers that she could put on her bedroom door as part of the magic.

My DS4 couldn't sleep. We discovered, in the end that he had a mirror next to his bedroom door and he had started to fall asleep and then I had crept up the stairs to check on him. He said 'someone was looking at me through that mirror.' Needless to say we took the mirror down.

[barking]

the monster bed

[S1ur]

Normal don't be worried about that at least!

Tactics I have used that work well.

Magic words/rituals. - best introduced if you say to dp (while she's about) 'Oh didn't you tell her the monster words yet?' (you must keep dead pan and casually serious about it) 'Oh well its just if you say 'See these claws? Stay away from my jaws!' Monsters are terrified and run away.

Also Monsters are afraid of light and loud noises so if you have a bad dream you can get rid of lingering monstors by bashing things and singing loudly and turing the light on for a bit.

For real things like flies we did a similar thing, we used to say oh is it a mummy fly or a daddy fly? A baby?

The trouble with outright denial is that they are a bit real to a 2.5 y.o. Reasoning and logic might work better for older than your dc.

[S1ur]

Mine also have dragons that nest in their hair and protect them.

don't ask.

[Maenad]

I think it's completely normal at that age. My DD went through a 'monsters' phase at the same age, afraid to go to sleep, thought they would come into the house etc. I would tell her that monsters didn't exist, but that even if they did exist they couldn't get in without a key. I used to take her to check the front door was locked on the way to bed, and it seemed to do the trick.

From my experience and observing friends' children, these sorts of anxieties do kick in (along with nightmares) at about two and a half and it's just a phase you have to get through! Don't worry too much.

[DorisIsAPinkDragon]

DD1 3 had alsorts of things that "scared her" she was going through a phase of being different things, we encouraged her being a pink dragon (her choice!)( hence my name!) but monsters etc are afraid of pink dragons so they could not scare her

[hester]

dd is 2.10 and going through the same thing. With the added horror of badgers (badgers?! We live in central London...).

Mostly I use humour. We have a special chant: 'We're not scared of monsters! Monsters are scared of US!". Then we charge round the flat making noises that would scare off any monster.

I have also appointed her toy dog as chief defender. Monsters are very scared of Snowy and won't come near while Snowy is standing guard on the end of the bed.

I love the idea of the anti-monster spray; that's going to be next.

[stressed2007]

I am so relieved this is normal! Will discuss with husband best magic tactics to use. Thanks so much everyone