Arachnaphobia in young todder

[Naetha]

I had an interesting experience with my 20mo DS tonight.

He's not scared of spiders as a rule - he'll point them out around the house, he's got a couple of toy ones, and will happily label them in books and tv and stuff. Me and DH have never made a deal of spiders being scary or anything. We have pretended that they're coming to eat him, but we've also done that with toy monkeys, Bob the builders etc. Result is always fits of giggles.

A couple of times though, he's burst into tears absolutely terrified because he saw something mistaken for a spider coming towards him. Tonight it was a forkful of spaghetti bolognese with trailing bits of spaghetti on either side that with some imagination could look a bit creepy-crawly-ish.

He shrank back, lip started to wobble, he started to cry and went "no! spider!" and refused to eat any more food, obviously quite emotionally distraught by the whole thing.

I wouldn't have thought that arachnaphobia would have been an inherent trait in children, and that it was mass media and culture that has made it an issue.

Yet how can a not even 2 year old be apparently arachnaphobic?

[ShinyAndNew]

Could he be copying relatives? An aunt/uncle/gp/cousin?

[Naetha]

Nope, family is pretty much just me and DH.

He goes to nursery one day a week, but can't imagine he would have picked it up there.

[EccentricaGallumbats]

DD2 is utterly spider phobic. always has been. not learned from either parent and started very young. some sort of caveperson flashback thingy, primordial knowledge or somesuch.

don't buy him an expensive cute wooden playhouse. he'll take one look, scream and refuse to ever play in it ever again - at least that's what happened in this household. it became a very attractive and expensive store for garden furniture over the winters.

[FairMidden]

DS was like this about tiny bits of black stuff/fluff from the earliest he could make himself clear. It does seem to be inherent for some of them.

DP has spent hours showing him bugs and beasties in the garden, without ever pressing him to go near, just allowing him to join in if he seems curious, and now he's started to demand "Mummy get pider!" when he wants me to pick one up for him - dream on, son!