Pre-Schooler Petrified of Monsters

Hi C.,
With my child we either vacuumed up the monsters or we'd wipe them up with a cloth. I was very determined to get the monsters out of the rooms and child could sense that I was on a "mission" with her.

At the preschool age, monsters are "real".

I remember one day saying, "I'm still vacuuming up that monster, I bet he'll only be around for a short time." My daughter replied, "Mom, I think he is going to leave soon."

Two weeks later, the monster was gone!

Kristen Colello

Here are two solutions. First let him see Monsters, Inc. by Disney. Very funny and cute. "Monsters Incorporated... We scare because we care." It's about monsters that have to scare because it's their job. They use the screams as electricity in the Monster world. You may want to watch it first and then watch it with him. Second, get a squirt gun. Fill it with water. Tell him it's "Anti-Monster Juice." Monsters are afraid of it and will go away if he squirts it in their direction. This way he can spray where ever he wants and since it's just water you don't have to worry about it ruining anything in your house.

My two year old son is also afraid of Monsters. Not petrified, but scared. He also doesn't like the dark because of the monsters. I try to assure him that the monsters will not hurt him and that he likes monsters and point to Elmo and the Cookie Monster as examples. There is a certain corner in his room that has shadows that he thinks are where the monster lives, so we go over there and pretend to grab at them. Then he sees that he can make the shadows too. I would ask your son about the monsters and have him describe them to you and make it into a game. If he has help thinking the whole idea through and verbally describing the monster to you, it may reduce his fears. You know what they say...talking about your problems can help. It may also help you to get a better understanding of what is actually scaring him.
Good Luck!!

ok ,my son had a similar fear, I would tell him that Mommy and daddy are hear and we are hear to protect him, besides that monsters are scared of something too, do you know what? Mommies. They will not come anywhere near our house. You know what you need to do if you think there is a monster somewhere, be scarier than them. I would teach him to scare the monsters. A friend of mine took a spray bottle and put water in it and labled it Monster repelant and she would have him spray to repell the monsters.

Your little angels fear sounld worse than mine so I hope this can help.

Both of my little brothers were scared of monsters...or "something." In both cases, my mother fixed the problem by buying a little something that would keep the monsters at bay. For one brother, he was terrified of elephants. What are elephants scared of? Mice! She got him a little mouse doggy toy and the monsters went away that night! I would suggest asking him what the monsters are scared of, and going out to find whatever that thing is. I don't think you'll feed his fears any more than he already is. You could also try watching Monsters Inc. with him - the monsters all turn out nice in the end. :-) Good luck!

I don't know what your religious background is like, but I have always read my kids the parts of the Bible where it says that children have angels watching out for them, that God is omnipresent and omnipotent(in smaller words, of course) - God is always everywhere, and he is not only bigger than "monsters" - he made them, and they are under his control. Lots and lots of reassurance for little fears (and big ones) in the Bible...God is in control and he loves you and always wants what's best for you. With lots of reinforcing, lots of "let's check what the book (the Bible) says," this helped with the closet monsters in my house. Good luck!

My son went through this as well, jsut before and a little after he turned 4, although not as bad as your son from what it sounds. But be reassured it's a normal phase. We also used the monster spray, but since my son and I have asthma it was an invisible monster spray. I would also "catch" the monsters in a monster box and let them go outside. This all seemed to help him most of the time. Hope it helps your son too.

We used the ever popular Monsters go away spray. Just get some air freshner in a scent you haven't used before. Make a new label for it. Mind included the words Monsters go away and pictures of a child spraying and the monsters running.

At bed time we'd get out the spray and use it around the room and sure enough those nasty monsters were gone. The scent stays around long enough for the child to fall asleep.

My friend's daughter was frightened of monsters. She and her daughter wrote a story about monsters in the house and her daughter was the person who figured out the solution on how to get them to leave. It was cute and really helped.

when I was little my mother put water in a spray bottle made a fancy label - wrote on in "Monsters Keep Away" -
she would spray the room - under the bed - where ever we thought the monsters were lurking - It made us feel safe and mommy was protecting us - Nothing to lose

Good Luck