What's the best way to handle fear of bees/wasps before it turns into a full-blown phobia?

[WigWamBam]

Dd has never been very keen on wasps or bees, but it has never been a huge issue until now.

A couple of weeks ago she fell off her bike and landed on a bee, which stung her. Ever since then she's shrieked and screamed whenever she's seen anything remotely bee-like - to the extent that she has just gone into a complete hysterical meltdown when I asked her to get something from the kitchen because there was a wasp on the ceiling. It has taken me twenty minutes to calm her down, and the thing was never within six feet of her.

I don't want this to turn into a phobia, but I fear that it's already well on the way to becoming one. And I don't have a clue how I can stop it becoming a huge problem. At the moment, even walking to school is difficult because she screams and runs away if we get within twelve feet of one.

just bumping this fro you WWB, I had used to be scared of them(wasps/spiders etc) but have conquered it because I didn't want the boys to be scared too, just kind of gritty my teeth and shuu them out or >pick the up.....I have no idea how you stop it happening like you describe in your DD though.

I hope someone can help

My dd (3) was very much the same until just these last couple of months. She would totally freak out at the merest hint of there being a fly or wasp type creature in sight. I was beginning to fear we'd ever be able to enjoy time outdoors.

I don't know what's changed but she has spent all week in the garden with them all buzzing around her, and hasn't batted an eyelid. No practical tips to help I'm afraid; but hopefully it's just a phase for your dd (with the added 'sting' upset I know), as it was with mine.

Thanks both.

I typed up a long reply last night but either MN crashed or my PC did and I lost it. Can't remember half of it either!

I think it's more than just a phase, tbh; she is becoming completely obsessed. She wouldn't come into my bedroom this morning because she could hear a fly buzzing in the window and thought it was a bee.

I have tried looking through information books with her and talking about all the positive things I could think of about bees, but any good that did was undone the other day when dd became hysterical in the classroom because there was a bee in the window ... the teacher shrieked too, because she has a bee phobia.