terrified 6 yr old

[KathH]

over the christmas holidays we heard a terrible sobbing coming from upstairs and when we went up my 6 yr old son was beside himself saying he'd heard sratching under his bed and there was a man there - we thought it might be the cat but it wasnt - we did all the looking under the bed with him to show him there wasnt anything there but basically 3 weeks later he is still terrified and wont even go upstairs to the loo without someone going with him. he wont go to bed - gets in with his sister - even if we let him keep the light on. whilst i feel really sorry for him as to him its real and has terrified him i feel the longer it goes on the worse its getting. we've tried to say can you nip upstairs and get your pjs or whatever out of your bedroom and bring them down but he wont even do that. Help!

No advice I'm afraid. Is it an old house?

no - only couple of years old!

Not a ghost then .

dont say that! My husband sometimes works nights and he'll come home to either find us all in the same bed or camped downstairs! .

I used to be like that! and my mum did too when she was little (she thought there was a 3 legged donkey in their toilet!)

I used to get terrified at night because i thought there was a man in my wardrobe and that he was going to come out and kill me.
I used to have to have someone take me to the loo because the dark doorways upstairs scared me, although eventually it was ok if my mum just stayed at the bottom of the stairs and waited for me.

I eventually just grew out of it, and i don't think it did me any harm... it was just annoying for my mum and dad!
I am still of a nervous disposition though, the other night i woke up and thought i could see someone in our room and had to wake dp up cos i was so scared!

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has he had a bad experience with a walrus?
to my shame when james started crying and said there was a man under his bed i had to wake dh and get him to check while i cowered downstairs even though i knew all the doors were locked etc etc and i knew he couldnt squeeze through the letterbox! i guess i'm not much better.

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have given up trying to put james in his own room - know its not the answer but am at the anything for a quiet life stage. i know with my daughter when she was smaller i couldnt work out why she was so scared when i said it was the draft making the door creak - turned out she thought i'd said giraffe and she thought there was one stalking about in the hallway - although i dont know how she thought it might have sneaked in!

Are you able to dis mantle his bed and just have the mattress on the floor? This will remove the under the bed thing. He may have heard some animal sound outside (Foxes mating can freak me out as it sounds like someone is being tortured). Maybe he could have a radio playing low for when he goes to sleep. Poor boy.