Fear of insects

[Eliza70]

My DS who is 2 got stung by a bee last year, he has now become very frightened of bees and insects "no like buzzy bee!" At daycare during the week he became very scared by a ladybird and when we saw a bee in the garden yesterday he was crying and clutching my legs.

Any advice on how to help him get over this?

Watching with interest.

My DS is 7 and developed a terrible fear of wasps and bees a year or two ago. He also hates cats and dogs. But will happily chase pigeons...

It actually bothers him that he feels this way, and I'm dithering between supporting and hoping he'll grow out of it, and taking him for treatment.

Obviously your DS is much younger, and most of the advice I've read suggests that young children grow out of phobias.

My DD who is 2 told me she was 'scared' by a random weed in the garden the other day - I think it looked a bit like a stinging nettle, which I had told her to keep away from in the park. So I said 'mummy come with you?' and she said ok, so we looked at the plant together and I touched it and told her to touch it and that it wouldn't hurt her - 10 mins later she was happily watering it with her little watering can and telling me it was 'happy'!

Obviously you can't go handling bees, but maybe next time see if he will hold a ladybird or other harmless insect so he can see it won't hurt him? Maybe if he sees you hold it first he will be less scared? Or get him a book all about insects and how they help flowers grow or something?