Toddler suddenly afraid of flies etc!

[belindarose]

20 months. Suddenly freaking out at flies, screaming and crying, trying to claw her way into my clothes. She says she doesn't want ladybirds in her hair (fair enough I suppose!) but I'm not sure how I'm going to keep all flying things away this summer! There's one in the kitchen now, prompting this post! She's liked 'bugs' up to now, finding them in the garden etc. Any ideas how to help her??

Maybe she's been stung recently by a wasp or something? You could invest in some citronella candle and maybe one of those zappy lanterns. I'm not entirely sure was else to suggest i'm afraid. if you stay calm and don't make a fuss perhaps she'll stop getting worried? HTH

Thanks. She definitely hasn't been stung, so not that. I've made sure I'm calm around bees etc, so as not to frighten her, but we've been away with family recently so maybe someone inadvertently made her aware that they're a 'scary' thing. Can't keep the door shut all summer!

Quite a normal stage of development ime to become suddenly scared of something at that age. Db was terrified of railways crossings and stoves, dd of people dressed up, ds of cats. No particular reason and it all wore off in the end: db has travelled extensively in Europe on the train and has no railway phobia whatsoever, dd wants to audition for RADA