When Children Experience Nightmares
When you combine the active imaginations of children with dreams, very disturbing nightmares can occur. Adults often feel helpless when it comes to dealing with a child’s nightmares. It helps to keep a few ideas in mind:
- Never, ever brush off or dismiss a child’s fears. When you say, “Oh, that’s nothing, you’re being silly,” you are insulting the child as well as diminishing their concerns. If they are legitimately frightened, it’s far from “nothing” and they aren’t being “silly,” they’re being children.
- You don’t want to blow the nightmare or the dream up larger than they should be, of course, but you should listen to the child as she or he tells you what happened in the dream.
- Instead of saying, “Monsters don’t exist!” – ask the child if he/she has ever seen a monster. Tell them that you haven’t either (which will carry a great deal of weight, since the child probably thinks you’re about as old as old gets!). Allow them to come to the realization that it was just a dream and that monsters (or whatever) really don’t exist. Stay calm, casual, and never tease or make fun of them.
- Help them understand that dreams are like little movies our brain creates to entertain itself while we’re asleep. Tell them that, apparently, their mind thought it was time for a scary movie and that it will probably want to create a comedy next. Let them know that watching several cartoons (lighthearted) before bedtime the next night will probably encourage their brain to keep things funny!
- If the child is afraid to go back to sleep, ask yourself this question: “If you were their age and felt totally afraid of your dreams and the dark, what would you want your mom or dad to do?” You’d want them to let you stay awake for the time being – with the lights on! If you try to force them to go back to a frightening place, you aren’t going to be much of a hero, are you?
Nightmares are a part of growing up, so are “monsters under the bed” and “creepers in the closet.” Just try to be as calm and reassuring as you can and you’ll help them disappear soon.
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- Dream Prophesy – Nightmares, Troubling Dreams, and Daydreams You may be one of those people who attach meaning...
When I was a child,
I had always got chased around by something I couldnt see,
and I’ll always fall,
and after that, my dream always ended up in a computer saying OBJECTIVE FAILED.
YOU DIED
YOU DIED.
over and over again,
what could this mean?
Every time I move I have this dream of a little girl who has black hair and wears a old-lady night gown like the ones you see in scary movies. Im wandering in the house that I moved to and she pops out of no were and she does this very creepy scream and she scares me.I have this dtream EVERY TIME I MOVE TO A DIFFRENT HOUSE. When I was little, a little girl was murdderd by her step-mom and she was eithe a year younger or older than me when i was 3. my mom told me when i was little right after she had died, i told my mom i had a dream of a little girl and i described her as the little girl who had died. I even told her the girls name and,I dont remember her name but i want to know why she hauntes me in my dreams every time i move to a diffrent house.
WOW! PRETTY SCARY STUFF RITE DEA!
maybe shes tryna ask u 4 help,
u’s r veri similar agez,
mayb her stepmum dd sumfin,
n shes tryna warn u?
BUT THAT IS SUM SCARY SHIZ
Are you a professional journalist? You write very well.
Well done keep up the good work.
That’s great advice!
Nightmares can be really frightening…