Scared 9 Yr Old

Not sure if it will work in this case, but my daughter was getting scared in her room at night, things under the bed, in the closet etc.

I happened to be away for a weekend visiting some elderly relatives and found a beautiful crysal that could be hung - like a light catcher.

I bought this for her room and spun a story of how magic it was, how I found it locked away, and how it glowed with the magic to keep scairy things out of her room (I reflected the light through it) etc.

She is 6, so she may be more impressionable than your 9 year old, but it worked like a charm and there has been no issues since, and it still hangs in her room.

OMG, this happened to my daughter too, but in 2nd grade, with the SAME scary story. A kid in her class was going around, telling all the kids about it. And the kids went home and told their parents.
It frightened MANY of the kids, not only my daughter.
I told the Teacher. The Teacher spoke to the class and the child telling the story... and told them that they are not to scare other kids, with tales they hear about... because it frightens others. It is not appropriate.

The child telling the story, had "fun" telling the other kids, because it scared the others. And she did it on purpose.

My daughter got scared too. She told me all about it and where she heard it from. I told her it is not real... it is fiction etc. She knew that but it still scared her. It took time... for her to get over it.
At night, she'd get scared, just like your child.
So, she slept on the floor near our room.
But once she got over it, then she was fine.
But... she still remembers the story.
And just a couple of weeks ago, she brought it up again, matter of factly.
But now she is 9 and in 4th grade. She heard that scary tale, 2 years ago.

The problem is not your daughter, it is the effects of the scary tale, that was told to her.
Talk with her about it... but when someone is scared, even for an adult, you can't "force" them to get over it, until they do.
Even if they mentally understand, it is not true.

Oh D., I am a grown woman with a teen son and I shriek every time anyone utters bloody mary even once in my house...I will not let them ever say it three times.

But that is the key to this scary story as I know it - a person has to utter bloody mary three times in front of a mirror before she comes out. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Mary_%28folklore%29

For some reason, with all the myths and urban legends out there, there is always one that strikes fear into a person more than the others.

What you can do is acknowledge her fears - let her know that it is alright to be afraid, but reinforce that this is a myth, a legend, that has, in fact, been around since the 1960s. Begin telling her other, gentler stories at bedtime, read books together - things that will give her other things to think about while falling asleep. Soft, gentle music or white noise in her room. Leave the light on - it's okay if she needs that. Check on her every 10 minutes instead of 15, until you can lengthen that to 12 minutes, etc.
If there is a mirror in her room - take it out for now. No mirror - nothing can come through it.

Remember that 9 year old girls can be hyper sensitive and, like all children, over imaginative. So try an appeal to her imagination in positive ways, with myths and legends about good.

My son went through a spat were he was afraid to sleep - afraid of bad dreams after his first experience with one when he was about 6. Together, we mad a dream catcher and hung it above it his bed. 9 years later, and one household move, and it is still over his bed..more decoration now than anything.

But, still, small talismans, things like a dream catcher that has its roots in good cultural myths can help ease away the bad myths. Especially if you help weave the good "magic" into the myth.

Together, plan a story using her fear as the basis. Include the details of the original scary story. Then steer the story towards an ending in which the girl in the story is no longer afraid. Along the way ask your daughter to make suggestions about what would help this girl be less afraid.

Somehow, telling stories about someone else in a similar situation makes it easier to think more rationally and come up with ideas for a solution.

It's a classic slumber party scary story/dare. Plus the little boy got his story wrong. She only comes if she's invited. Saying her name 3 times in front of a mirror in a dark room. Anyway, this one wigs me out too. I always hated it.

Reassure her again and again that it is not real. That it's just a story to be scary.

As for my daughter, I tell her that even if it were true, this is MY home. No one and nothing is allowed to come in unless I say so. I tell her that she's the most precious thing in the world to me and that this is Her house and Her room and She has the power to tell the spooky things to "Get out!" just like Mommy and Daddy. I also tell her other stories, something fantastic that she knows isn't real, like if she closes her eyes and counts to ten a flying monkey will appear, or when she wakes up in the morning there will be talking pigs in the kitchen making breakfast. It's the same thing, it's just a story, never happened, never will happen.

Good luck.

If that fails, remind her that there are no mirrors in her room.

Can you contact the teacher and have her speak to the boy that told her and maybe he can admit to her that it isn't true and he was just trying to scare her? Maybe it will help if it comes from HIM since he told her initially? I don't know, but I would be PISSED!!! I purposly tried to keep scary things from my kids and it worked until my ex said some scary thing to our son and he came home scared to sleep. No matter what I said to him, he was still scared. He's 9 now and has finally been able to sleep with a little plug in night light but its been a battle. Our 12 yo luckily has been good and not afraid of anything. I hope you find something that works for her, I know how hard it is. Good luck.

The same thing happened to my daughters. I faced the demons head on. You tell her it was made up and you PROVE it. You stand at a mirror at night together and say the words. Then 'camp' out in her room for the night with stories of your past and how you felt the same when you were a kid. She needs to feel comfortable in HER room. She'll see it isn't true and just a made up legend. She'll be able to tell the kids at school that it really is a bunch of BS and she proved it. The best thing besides her having her confidence back...you'll get sleep!