My 2 year old got a terrible fright at the circus and keep talking about it.

[Sunnysideup321]

I stupidly took my baby to the circus about 6 weeks ago (he turned 2 yesterday) and there was a sketch with two clowns in a haunted house and a ghost appears with a candle. It was scary and he started to cry and I felt racing so we left. Since then he has mentioned the bold man with the candle every day. He has awoken crying a couple of times too babbling about the bold man. I don't know what to do about it. My mam says don't acknowledge it, I don't agree, but not sure what the answer is. I didn't think a 23 month old would be so affected by something like that, nor did I expect such a scary sketch in the circus. How do I help him not be scared? Should I take him back to the circus show him the bold man is gone?

I think I'd just breezily say something along the lines of, "That bold man? Oh, I threw him in the bin. He's gone now." and keep repeating it whenever he mentions it.

Oh my DS is a very similar age and I’ve been taken by surprise a couple of times - once was Peter Rabbit and a very dark tunnel and he was so upset! We had lots of babbling about tunnels and wabbits and “ees daaaaark!” He also woke up crying a few times.

I dealt with it by saying oh, are you thinking about that scary tunnel? It was a bit scary but it was ok, Peter and Benjamin went home for tea. It’s a silly scary tunnel. Silly billy scary tunnel!! Everybody is ok, don’t worry about silly billy tunnels. And repeat. Again and again! I think it took 2 weeks and lots of cuddles before he had processed it properly. The Postman Pat movie was also traumatic

What blue sky says

Pretend he's disposeable, your two year won't see the difference.

Poor little beggar though

That's exactly what I've been saying to him, and getting him to repeat it and point to the bin and say gone but he still woke today crying pointing to his cot saying bold man

I think you just need to let him work through it his own way. Lots of reassurance, lots of cuddles and a breezy “not that silly bold man again?! What do we do with silly bold men? They gooooo, in the bin bye bye silly bold man!!” It’s all on you really. You have to convince him that you understand his fear, and that it’s not silly to br scared because sometimes things are scary. Also that you’ll be there if he’s scared, and that you won’t go anywhere. And that he’s totally fine. So not much really

Seriously though I think he just wants to know you understand and you’re there for cuddles. It might take s couple of weeks but he’ll get there.

Breezy answers, lots of cuddles. Don't mirror any fright he has. He will soon forget all about it.