This model represents the preschooler age group; which are
children between the ages three and five. At this age children are socializing
with other children while slowly being introduced to attending school. The are
learning to control their body and bodily functions and also be able to be away
from their parents for brief or prolonged periods of time. They are increasing
their vocabulary, their attention span is getting longer, and they have a
better memory. This time period is spent refining many of the tasks that they
achieved as a toddler.
According to Hockenberry and Wilson the greatest number and
variety of real and imagined fears are present during the preschool years. Fear
is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous,
likely to cause pain, or is a threat (2011).
This picture is a model of the preschool age fear of
monsters that they may see coming out of things or hiding under things. If a preschool aged child sees a commercial of
the scum monsters coming out of a toilet or dust monsters under a bed they might
be fearful of their own toilet or bed which makes going to the bathroom or sleeping more difficult. They don’t quite understand that it isn’t real as this age and they can't differentiate between what is an animation and what is actually real.
References
Hockenberry, M. J., & Wilson, D. (2011). Wong's nursing care of infants and children. St. Louis, MO: Mosby/Elsevier.
After reading your blog, I started to think a little more about what makes children see or recognize something as a monster that’s not there. An article I came across stated “Between ages 2 and 6, children’s increasing ability to create mental images of people, animals, and objects enables them to imagine monsters in the closet or under the bed.” (“Talking with children,” 2011). As a parent or more relevantly, as a nurse, it is important to talk with the child about the fears they are experiencing and what put the fear in their head in the first place. It’s important to treat children individually because one child’s fear may not be the same as another’s. Children react differently to seeing ‘monsters’ on t.v. verses in real life, where fear may result. Ways to calm children’s fears could be simply discussing what those fears are and what the different feelings they experience with what they see on t.v. versus in real life. Other ways could include acting out those fears with dramatic play which shows the child there is nothing to fear. For the same reason, art, music and monster dances can make children more comfortable with the idea that there are no monsters like what they see on t.v. As a nurse, we have to make sure that the children don’t see us as the monster. Making them familiar to us and letting them know we are there to help. Sometimes that first involves establishing a connection with the parent and letting the child see that we are not a threat to their loved one before we start a relationship with them. . From there it is through teaching and communication that we can assure the child in our care that there are no monsters in the room.
ReplyDeleteTalking with children about monsters. (2011). Retrieved from
http://www.childcarequarterly.com/pdf/spring11_monsters.pdf
This discussion was well written, and it really got me thinking about my childhood. As a child I can remember one instance in particular that caused me to have nightmares for quite some time. My parents decided it would be a good idea to discuss a family plan in the instance a fire should occur in our house. They also put an emergency fire ladder that fit in a box under our bunk beds.
ReplyDeleteNow, as a parent, it seems like a really good idea. I can totally understand the aspect of wanting to be prepared had something tragic, like a fire, ever occurred. I can remember my dad telling us how we would have to break the window and how to attach the ladder to the window. I can also remember my mom discussing how we would all meet over by the chicken coop after we got out safe. I’m quite sure that after this family planning session, my parents could sleep a little better at night knowing that they had prepared us and now, had a fire occurred, we would be able to get out safely. However, as a child, I was terrified!!! Every night after that for quite a long time, probably years, I would have a nightmare about a raging fire taking over our house. The version was different all the time, but it generally involved me and my sister fumbling with the ladder, or not being able to break out the window, or us getting out safe and running to the chicken coop where my parents WEREN’T WAITING!
It really is an amazing thing how creative children are! The part about the scum monsters made me giggle, but thinking back to my childhood, I can totally see how this could be traumatizing. Most childhood fears are things that people look back on later in life, and even though slightly embarrassed, we tend to laugh at them now.
Great picture and post Karla!! I think you captured the most popular and realistic fears that children of this age category have, the dark and monsters. For me, I was this child for a very long time!!! I grew up in a big farm house where it was pitch black with many eerie noises due to living in the country. For a long time I had to sleep with a night light growing up (embarrassingly I have to admit probably the 3rd grade).
ReplyDeleteAs the book, as well as many online sources, the reason is because of the development and creative imagination of children. It is amazing what kids are able to come with, especially now having many nieces and nephews they never cease to surprise me while we are playing or talking. I have noticed especially with my oldest nephew (6 years old) who loves dinosaurs. I decided he would be OK to watch the Jurassic Park movie since he was so interested…probably should have waited a little bit longer because we only got a little way in when we had to turn it off (probably is a good thing I’m not a parent yet).. He still loves dinosaurs, but that first week after watching it he was sure they were going to come and get him. At this point we had to explain that they weren’t coming back and all that is left now are the bones. His parents also used a night light until he wasn’t scared anymore.
I really liked the books suggestion of dealing with these situations such as exposing children to the feared objects in a safe place to desensitize them (Hockenberry, 2011). Also using models like a doll or stuffed animal to explain that those are safe and so will the child. Our guest speaker explained this very well in her example of using the teddy bear to put on and take off a cast. As an RN we can remember this in our practice to help a child’s experience be less scary and more tolerable. RN’s can also be there as a resource for the parents with questions or concerns they have by making recommendations or knowing when they need more professional help.
Hockenberry, M. J., & Wilson, D. (2011). Wong's nursing care of infants and children. (9th ed., p. 600). St. Louis, MO: Mosby/Elsevier.
Interesting post and I like the picture that you drew. This post got me thinking about what types of fears I had at this age. I don’t remember being afraid of monsters or having bad dreams at this age, but I was afraid of being kidnapped or getting lost. This fear could have served as a form of protection for me at such a young age. Unlike some children, I never wandered away from my parents, or tried to run away.
ReplyDeleteChildren at this age tend to have imaginations that can run wild. This creativity can be a blessing and a curse. Their imagination can entertain them for hours and its always interesting to hear what young children are thinking. This creativity is something I wish I could have carried with me to my adult years. On the other hand their imaginations can become a problem if they are experiencing irrational fears. Calming a child’s fear may be a difficult task if you are not able to rationally explain to them what the real situation is.
I found an interesting article on WebMD about childhood fears and anxieties. According to Kristin Lagattuta, who has a PhD in psychology, fears that are connected to emotions are the hardest for children to get over (2007). She suggests that the best way to deal with these fears is to break the challenge into sections and tackle them individually. In order to successfully get over a fear the emotional experience attached to the fear must be altered. The article suggests reading a book in the dark with a flashlight to help a child who is afraid of the dark. Children who are afraid of dogs should have the opportunity to be around, and play with, dogs that are good around younger children. Changing a negative emotion into a positive experience should help to lessen the children’s fear about certain things and show them there is really nothing to be afraid of.
References
WebMD. (2007, April 20). Childhood fears and anxieties. Retrieved from
http://children.webmd.com/features/childhood-fears-anxieties
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ReplyDeleteKarla, great post! I think that childhood fear about monsters is actually a pretty common phenomenon. Like you mentioned, children are not fully developed to comprehend a situation for what it is. This is when it is critical for parents to talk with their children and educate them. When a child thinks there might be a scary monster under the bed or in the closet, it is on the parents to talk with their children and bring them back to reality. From a parental standpoint, though, it is important not to show doubt or humor in a situation that causes the child great fear. Trust between the child and caregiver will allow for continuous communication and successful coping.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read your post, I instantly thought about how animated movies can trigger childhood fears by watching them. With more and more movies and technological advances, it is very easy for children to access images, movies, and other material these days. One animated movie that popped into my head right away was Monsters, Inc. Back when this movie first came out, I was old enough to comprehend the plot. However, for children viewing this film in the imagination stage, it could be a completely different experience. According to Movieguide (2001), children from ages 2-5 “may not be ready to fully understand, or full enjoy the movie.” Not only could this movie confuse little children, it could also eradicate a fear that was not present prior to watching. Movieguide (2001) continues about the cognitive developmental theory and how children age 3-6 could develop a fear that monsters come out at night and events like that actually exist. The funny thing about this is that Monsters Inc. twists the plot in a way that the monsters are actually afraid of the children. It is this type of plot that young children may not pick up on. Older children and adults are developed enough to understand the plot. Finally, Movieguide (2001) concludes that “with a little parental involvement, however, children in the imagination stage can be guided through the scary parts of the imaginary scenario in Monsters Inc.” Overall, it is important as nurses to understand the development of the age groups we are dealing with. Parents also need to learn how to educate their children and help their children cope with a fear that is very real to them.
Movieguide. (2001). Movie review: Monsters inc.. Retrieved from http://www.cbn.com/entertainment/screen/movie-Monsters_Inc.aspx
It is well known that children have very active imaginations, especially when they are school aged. Like you mentioned in your post, they are now able to remember more and are very actively learning. Children also begin to learn what fear is and associate it with some very practical things and some other less practical things. When I was younger I can remember doing the same thing. I used to afraid that there was a shark under my bed and I would always make sure not to get to close to the edge so the shark could not bite me. Looking back this clearly was an absurd thing to believe but at the time all I knew was that sharks killed people and they were something to be afraid of. I think this is an interesting thing to keep in mind when dealing with kids, we need to figure out what they believe versus just assuming they know what is true. Reality is whatever the child believes it is and keeping that in mind can help understand their fears and help them cope with these fears.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the picture as well!