ChristusG Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 My 9 year old DD has suddenly become afraid of things. None of my kids have ever been afraid of the typical kid things....thunder, loud noises, the dark, costumed characters, spooky TV shows, etc. She's never been afraid until recently. Last month we had a family reunion and it was a REALLY stormy day. There were tornado warnings in the area and the lightning was cracking pretty close. She heard people talking about the tornados and began bawling. Tonight there are tornado warnings a few counties south of us (meaning, they are nowhere near us...it's not even raining). She was very concerned about the whereabouts of the storm, despite the fact that I had reassured her several times that the storms were moving away from us, not towards us. Also, for the last few weeks, she's been afraid of a possible house fire. Right before this fear began, we went over a unit in her American Heritage Girls book called Emergency Preparedness.....so that she could earn that badge. I wish I'd never even decided on that badge! I had no idea it would cause weeks of fears to emerge. One of the requirements was to talk about what to do if there were ever a house fire. We went over it. We'd gone over it before....it was probably a few years ago though. And now she cries at night because she's afraid of going to sleep in case of a fire. Do you think it's all because she's just reached the age where she realizes that danger is real? And death is permanant? (I mean, as far as this earth goes....we're believers so we do believe in Heaven). I guess that when she was younger, it didn't really register that death is real. And now that she's 9, it may be a new realization. What do you guys think? We talk though it, I snuggle her close and try to reassure her. We pray together about it. I'm hoping these fears ease really soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Mousie Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 Do you think it's all because she's just reached the age where she realizes that danger is real? And death is permanant? I think this is correct. And I think you are handling it just right. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 I think you may be on to something. Another thing you might do is teach her to read the weather maps so she can see for herself the direction of the storm. Brain storm with her about preparedness. What do we do in. The event of a tornado. Where do we go, how do we keep safe once there. Where and what supplies do we have on hand in out "bunker" or basement. The same with a fire. Have her mark on the calendar he day the smoke detectors are tested each month. Have her be involved with the testing and maintenance (checking batteries, keeping dust off). Drill what to do in the middle of the night If the alarm goes off. Do the same for each fear. I have one of those anxious kids. We've been doing what-if scenarios for a long time. Having a measure of control in knowing what to do seems to help a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwg Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 :lurk5: My 10 year old has suddenly become afraid of the dark and wants to sleep with the light on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 Has she been sick lately? I ask because my daughter very suddenly came Down with some fears and obsessions after a strep infection. She was later diagnosed with PANDAS. Basically the infection attacked her brain. She is better now, but still struggles with some of the obsessive thoughts. Just thought I'd throw that out there! I wish I knew about it earlier than I did so my daughter wouldn't have had to struggle so much for so long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 My older SPD child started having similar anxieties around age 9-10. One thing that helps is we play the "what if" game, taking the scary scenario to a possible conclusion talking through how we could react/cope/manage. Something about that seems empowering to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 I was going to suggest PANDAS as well. Any sudden onset of an extreme behavior should be checked out IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 My son did things like that suddenly starting this summer (8). It was the onset of OCD but he didn't test positive for strep. She's in a common age for PANDAS/PITANDS though. I don't, however, necessarily see any OCD in what you're describing. Is she doing any repetitive questioning to get reassurance (asking over and over if the storm is possibly headed your way, wanting you to check the detectors again, etc.)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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