I ain’t afraid of no ghost!
Mar 10th, 2008 | By Mike | Category: Papa Prattle, Pointless Posts
In my house we have a saying; “The only monster in this house is Daddy!” I created this little mnemonic to make sure my kids are not afraid of the darkness, or of things that go “bump” in the night.
I grew up in a country steeped in mysticism and legends of otherworldly beings. I have personally seen and experienced unexplainable phenomena. I can enter any house and sense”if” something bad has happened there in the past (and I’m usually proven right). Plus it doesn’t help that I had a sadistic older brother, ten years my senior, that used to lock me in dark rooms, and took pleasure in tormenting me. I’ve got everything going against me when it comes to this subject.
Until just recently, my young son was not afraid to go upstairs, or down to the basement, by himself. I was pretty proud of him for that. We don’t normally watch spooky shows, and when we do (i.e. Pirates of the Caribbean 1, 2 or 3), I am quick to demystify the movies by explaining how the spooky special effects are done. This has all worked well until now. Suddenly, he needs to be accompanied by the dogs to complete a chore on the second floor at night, or comes tearing up the basement stairs in terror when he shuts off the last light. I keep trying to reassure him there is nothing to be afraid of, to no avail. Like I did at his age, he has a very active imagination, which works against him from time to time. I really hope he grows out of this stage soon. We’ve worked really hard to make sure he doesn’t have a reservoir of negative experiences, like I had, to feed his fears.
So how do you hold on to your credibility if you teach a child there’s nothing to fear in the darkness when you yourself are only 99.98 percent positive that it’s true?
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Good question! I remember running and jumping into my bed at night for fear that the monster under there would grab my feet and suck me under the bed to never be seen again.
I think being scared is part of growing up. I think it makes you stronger when you get older and realize there really is nothing to be scared of, ya know?
Jared’s last blog post..Blizzard of ‘08 - Party Has To Wait
If age has affected my childhood monster the way it has me there is no way he’d be able to fit under the bed; plus he’d be napping most of the day.
Sometimes I think kids are just intuitive. Also, I think the dark can just be scary in general. Have you ever been in the dark and bumped into something or someone? It’s scary no matter what you’re bumping into because it’s the “unknown”. I think the best way to teach your child not to be afraid is to be fearless yourself.
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We always lead by example and it has worked fine for years. Something changed recently, but I am having a difficult time findiing out what that is.
I’m torn with this a wee bit, I would on one hand, be really eager to lead by example and show him that there is nothing to be afraid of, & how to be a brave little man and face into the darkness.
But…on the other hand I would want to try and keep a young boy’s imagination alive for as long as possible, keep his mind creative and full of wonder for as long as this miserable old world will allow nowadays.
I lost a parent at 10 years of age and that really put an end to my real ‘childhood’ as I knew it. Worldly reality had to take hold.
So I think I’d probably side towards leaving his imagination work it’s magic for a little while longer, in fact, I might even make a few spooky noises to help it along.
Yet again, a very provocative post. Thanks guys.
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I’m OK with my son having childhood figures (i.e. Santa, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy etc…). The Boogeyman, well he I could do without.
I understand.
It seems like it’s a bloody tough job to get the balance right.
Best of luck with it.
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Even in middle age, I can manage to scare myself sometimes imagining all the little ghoulies lurking in a dark room (still can’t sleep with the closet door open). I have nothing for ya here… With my son it was ritual that helped, turning on the light, closing the curtains, all those sorts of things that made the night less scary. Good luck.
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I’ve had a couple of bad experiences while in the state between the sleep and wakefulness, but they are few and far between. They can be very “real” to you at the time of the occurrence though.
The thing I hate the most is the feeling of paralysis and helplessness.
We have the same saying in my house. Glad someone else sees it this way.
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Hey there! Simpatico!
Can you please come to my house and tell if anything bad ever happened in it? I now have this strong desire to know.
(Here from If Mom Says it’s OK)
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Welcome Nola,
I’m no Psychic, I just get these “feelings” of “presences” (like most people do). Most of the time it just feels like there’s someone else in the house, but other times it feels like they’re right BEHIND YOU! (did you jump?)
You know those shadows that seem to creep around you; The ones just at the edge of your vision that quicly duck into open doorways when you turn around to see what they are? Well, they’re just your imagination. When they stop ducking, SELL THE HOUSE!
My son Ty is 22-months-old, and he isn’t afraid of anything! Seriously! He goes into the pantry or laundry room (both pitch black), closes the door and sits there until we knock on the door. He then replies, “Anybody home!?!” It’s a riot. I don’t want him to be afraid, so we just make like it’s fun as long as he can’t get hurt.
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That’s hilarious! Keep up the good work!