Is your child terrified of abduction as a result of the Madeleine McCann incident?

[expatkat]

Ds, who's nearly 9, has trouble sleeping, even. I tried to protect him from it way back when it happened, but he was old enough to read the front page headlines in the newspapers strewn around the underground and the buses. He asked me questions about it back then, and I tried to answer honestly but reassuringly.

Anyway he didn't mention it again until a couple of months ago, when he admitted he's been afraid for a long time, but hasn't wanted to tell me.

I've reassured him in every way that I can think of, and I sometimes even stay with him in his bedrrom until he falls asleep.

Is this fear common, do you think? It makes me think the whole media frenzy may have had a bad effect on lots of children.

Glad it helped expaykat. It is very difficult when your child gets stressed about something and reassurance doesn't seem to work. I think to some extent that they have to learn to cope with being worried (with our help) and be able to think sensibly about their fears and let them go. It's a good life skill.

I think emphasising how rare it is, is very helpful.

I remember being very scared by the Black Panther case when I was younger (older than your DS, but quite young all the same) and being very reassured when my mum told me how very very rare things like that are.

practical idea could be to remind him of the house number street and telephone number.

at nine, he can be empowered.

maybe even a self-defense course or karate lessons would help with confidence?

luckily, my children are a bit too young to hear this on the news at the time. but, with reminders in every shop window, it's hard to get away from it.