Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
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 Ask Dr. Needlman
Three-Year-Old Afraid of Clowns | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
My son is three years old and has developed a lot of fears within the last three months including a fear of clowns (anything that looks lifelike, for example Santa, the Easter Bunny, Mickey Mouse etc.). Also, he is scared of fireworks. I don't understand why he is having all these fears. He doesn't go to a daycare and his peers are the kids at church. As far as TV, he usually only watches PBS (like Barney, Elmo etc.).— Silla in Coldwater, Mich | | | ANSWER |
July 24, 2002 | | | Dear Silla,
It is very common for preschool-aged children to develop many different fears. Part of the reason is that young children have a very hard time telling the difference between reality and make-believe. People with white faces and huge red noses who act in unpredictable ways (clowns), or huge talking mice (Mickey), really are frightening, unless you understand that they are made up. Things that explode and make loud noises (fireworks) really are frightening, until you can understand that they are actually very far away, and that they are very unlikely to cause harm on the ground. Although you can reassure your child--and you should many, many times--don't expect him to actually be reassured until he has learned enough about the world to really understand that some things that look real actually are not.
After hearing, time and again, that Mickey is a made-up character (a cartoon drawing or a person wearing a mouse suit), your son will eventually "get it" and cease being afraid. In other words, fearfulness is a stage that many children pass through and grow out of. During this phase, what's often most reassuring is for you, in your role as all-powerful parent, to tell your child that you will keep him safe. That is, after all, your number one job!— by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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