my DS has a fear of wind....how can i help him??

[glaskham]

My ds 3.2yo used to love the wind when he was in his buggy/pram....then once he started walking (well a few months after) he's always had a fear of it. He is in real tears and screaming just becuase of the smallest breeze.... I dont know what i can do to help him....i have tried making up songs for him to sing about the wind going away etc, have tried explaining what wind is, and that wind is nice to keep you cool etc.... but the last few weeks its got considerably worse....so much that the whole walk to and from nursery with him (10mins each way) he will be screaming and i cant control him, or comfort him in any way!!!

any tips, or anyone else with the same sort of problem?? he's been walking everywhere since he was about 20-24mths....so its been going on for over a year now!!!

What exactly is he afraid of, is it the noise, the feel of the wind or the thought it might hurt him?

How about a hand-held windmill? If you don't mind making a prat of yourself then you could put your arms out and swoop around being a soaring bird in the wind.

have tried being planes, birds, mountain climbers climbing up a big tall hill in the wind....it will work until another big gust of wind comes.....he is just as bad in light breezes as he is on a strong gale...

he wont tell me what it is that scares him....i've tried saying when he's a bit bigger he'll want wind to be able to fly a big kite etc. and when he's at home and its windy he looks outside an pleads with me 'we dont need to go out today, do we mummy?'

Chill, my two were exactly the same.

I think they found it feaky that wind could move things and yet they couldn't see how it was happening. When my eldest (ds) was your sons age I would have worried myself sick about that but trust me, chill. Dont make a fuss and he will work out for himself there is nothing to worry about. You are there for him to reley on and of ever there is anything scary you won't let it hurt him. That's all he needs to know. My dd was worse and was scared of bugs etc too but they laugh about it now!! (They are 8 and 6)
Best Wishes Dolallylass

Chill, my two were exactly the same.

I think they found it feaky that wind could move things and yet they couldn't see how it was happening. When my eldest (ds) was your sons age I would have worried myself sick about that but trust me, chill. Dont make a fuss and he will work out for himself there is nothing to worry about. You are there for him to reley on and of ever there is anything scary you won't let it hurt him. That's all he needs to know. My dd was worse and was scared of bugs etc too but they laugh about it now!! (They are 8 and 6)
Best Wishes Dolallylass

Oops!!!!

I didn't finish my last post as my doorbell went, but ds (3.8 yrs)is quite anxious about windy weather when he is carrying things as when he was younger something (I can't remember what now) was blown out of his hand and I couldn't catch it before it was lost. I don't think he remembers the exact incident now, but he remembers the anxiety. We practise holding things tightly (while being Spiderman/Superman) or put things into my bag and that helps a lot.

I wonder if your ds had an incident, perhaps dust in his eye or been blown over or something, that makes him anxious now. Could you go through a list with him of what might happen in the wind, he could suggest what might "go wrong" and you could tell him how you and he together could prevent/fix the problem?

You could try buying one of these for him. You could get him to blow on the windmill, to see it move and then take it with you on the walk to nursery, so he focuses on it moving rather than the wind itself.

These phobias can be so difficult - you have my sympathy!

Ds is scared of hoovers, handdryers in loos (and we are currently potty training so it's a nightmare as he doesn't want to go in loos out), the hairdryer and lawnmowers. Basically anything that buzzes.

It's really hard when it is stuff you can't control and they will encounter. I hope he gets over it soon. If you find out the way to deal with these fears let me know!

My daughter was exactly the same, she thought it was going to blow her away and nothing would convince her otherwise (I think it was after watching Mary Poppins that she got the idea). Anyway, it lasted about 6 months and then she forgot about it.

its been going on near a year now and i still haven't cracked it.....was hoping someone else on here had.....do you think there's anything or anyone that could help him? or do you think its just something he will grow out of?

In my experience, she grows out of one but then develops another ( now wasps!) Although she is now four and I would say that her reactions are less severe and can now be rationalized slightly. Sorry to not be of more help, maybe just a temperament / part of growing up thing. Maybe the more times he is in the wind and nothing terrible happens, the more he will get used to it.