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| |    Spock on Nightmares by Dr. Benjamin Spock reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. All children begin to have bad dreams between the ages of three and six. We're not sure why. Even in adults, two-thirds of all dreams have a disturbing emotional tone. Dreaming seems to trigger our deepest fears more easily than our deepest joys. While recurring nightmares may indicate significant stress in the child's waking life, usually they are just another part of growing up. When your child awakens from a nightmare, perhaps crying or even screaming, you should comfort her by telling her that everything is all right, that she was just having a dream, and that dreams aren't real. Then you can ask her to tell you about the nightmare, so you'll know what issues to deal with. Continue to reassure her that it was only a dream, like make-believe, and that you won't let anything bad happen to her in real life. Remember, dreams have magical powers, but so too do parents. Stay with her until she falls back to sleep. In the comforting light of day you can discuss further what dreams are, why they don't hurt you, and how everybody has them. As with fears, you cannot banish monsters from your child's dream life, but you can help her in a reassuring way to cope with them. Talk about:
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