Why is Ds scared of everything? How can I help him?

[FloraPosteschild]

He's nearly five. Just gone full time at school but has been part time since September.

He is scared to go to the loo by himself, this is sudden - started about 2 weeks ago.
He says the coats hanging up look like monsters etc.

He stands there jiggling till I agree to go with him. I can't always stand in the hall, as am feeding other Ds etc and the other day I didn't, and he weed on the carpet...just a bit, and in his trousers, and eventually went to the loo by himself, and was rather upset.

The trouble is, if I go and stand there, he still says he's scared, and I have visions of having to actually climb into the toilet and be there waving up at him before he will wee. I have to go further and further with him each time.

Why is he doing this and how can I help him get past it? It is seriously hard work...it isn't just the loo, it's leaving the room to go to the kitchen, upstairs, anything that means I am out of sight.

I know he can't help it as I had similar fears as a child - I got cross about it today but that made it worse. I was just exhausted.

Thanks for any experiences.

Is it the coats hanging up on pegs near the toilets at school that scare him? Does he go to the toilet at school or what does he do there? Have you spoken to his teachers? (Sorry loads of questions)
If it's the coats at school that scare him, is he scared of the same thing at home?

The change in going to school full time could have caused some anxiety that has resulted in him being a bit clingy, maybe once he gets used to it a bit more he'll settle and it will gradually go.

Wanted to add, my dd's (7 and 6 yrs) don't really like going upstairs on their own if no one else is up there. They ask each other to go with them, if they need to go to toilet, or, if one refuses, they make the dog go with them!
Or do you have a downstairs toilet and he's still afraid?

My DS 6 still gets scared of lots of things, the dark, the trees, Wallace and Gromit, slugs etc. Last week we started a tick chart for being brave, a full night in his own bed = one tick= for being brave, after 5 nights he got was alowed a treat, 45 mins on Ceebeebies website. It has worked so far.

My nearly 5 year old is just the same! He is now scared to be either upstairs or downstairs in our house by himself - he can't explain why. Because of this my DD1 ( 3 years old) now says that she is scared too. I agree it's really annoying b/c we only have upstairs loo. I have explained to him that there's nothing to be scared of etc but I have just gone along with him ( albeit v. grumpily) thinking that if he's genuinely scared then why let him be upset and he'll grow out of it -hopefully! However now I have read these posts I think I will try some of Sherbert's tricks or get a dog!