Need remedies to help three year old overcome fear of the dark

Tina - posted on 06/22/2010

Thank you all so much for your wonderful advice. I will try a few of everyone's recommendations and take it from there. I guess this is just another hurdle we have to overcome! :)

S~ - posted on 06/21/2010

this worked for my logical child... and we do have geckos so she does some times hear scurrying and sees things in her room. We got her a new lion stuffed animal (fairly large) and told her to sleep with him because he would protect her at night. She liked it but then had a problem.... She said very seriously to me that the monsters weren't really real. So I responded with the Lion is just like them not really real so he is perfect to chase away the not really real monsters.

it seemed to satisfy her.

Sarah - posted on 06/21/2010

this is one of my new favorites.
www.worrywoos.com

Melanie - posted on 06/21/2010

Good luck! Essentially try anything that might work.My daughter slept in a pup tent in her room with all the lights on. We also painted a magic box (a wooden jewlery box that I bought at the dollar store) that she opens at night because it captures bad dreams. I would also spend about 20 minutes in her room at bedtime telling happy stories thet would "weave" good dreams in her head for the night. She was 4 years old at the time and she is now going on 6. She has since dropped the tent and the light thing but still uses the box and the nice stories.

Alice - posted on 06/20/2010

Have You Tired Putting Her Bed In Your Room And Getting Her Used To The Dark?? Thats What I Have Done With My 2 Year Old...Just A Thought... Good Luck!! :)

Amy - posted on 06/20/2010

My 4 year old just started sleeping in his own bed again because of this. My husband and I let us just sleep with us....it worked for us but I know it's not for eeryone. We decided now was the right time to get him in his own bed because we have a 3 month old at hom and I'm waking up with her so if he needs me I don't mind since I'm sleep deprived already, lol. I usually lay with him till he goes to sleep if he wakes up in the middle of the night I just go lay down with him till he falls back asleep. I've noticed that he's afraid of the shadows on the walls so I take the flashlight and go around the room and we talk about everything that is scary, which is stuff he plays with all day. At night his stuffed animals have to be covered with a blanket and the closets need to be closed. Try the flashlight and see if that helps and maybe leave it in her bed with her so she can use it when she wakes up. You could also try to eliminate all lights in her room so when she wakes up at 2 in the morning there are no shadows to scare her, personally I have never done that and probably wouldn't but like I said I'm sleep deprived already!

Valerie - posted on 06/20/2010

Poor kiddo :( and poor mama too!
Usually the biggest battle is getting them to fall asleep in their own at bedtime. My daughter's about that age, and I just bring her into my bed, no questions asked, if she woke up during the night. The wake-ups happened less and less frequently, and now it only happens if she's ill or has a lot on her mind (e.g. when we moved house). The less of an issue you make of it, the less she'll persist. But that's usually the way with 3 y/os right?