Time for another of my "Mommy-isms". I was reminded about this the other day when our girls were reminiscing about the things I used to do when they were little. The little tricks...that at the time made me their HERO but now they realize were just that...little tricks!
All of us along with our children...and for some of us...even our Grandchildren now have at some point or another been fearful or afraid of something or another, especially at night! Mostly it's at the young tender age of between 2-8 yrs old...some even beyond that age...but we have all felt it at one point or another. It typically begins with our little ones doing there best to convince us that there is a "Boogie man" or "Monster" in their closet or under their beds. We relentlessly make every attempt to convince them that there is nothing there! Well when our youngest...Taylor who is now 15, was little....she had a HORRIBLE fear of Elephants!!! ELEPHANTS of all things!!! She was so little she called them "FEE FEETS" Ya I know...Fee Feets! But that was her word for them! I had tried EVERYTHING...taken her to the library and showed her pictures....showed her them on TV...it just made her fear STRONGER! IT was the oddest thing I tell ya!
Living here in the Reno-Sparks Lake Tahoe area we have a LOT of casinos...so we even took her to a local Hotel Casino that at the time had Elephants for a huge show. During the day they would take the Elephants outside and give them their baths...have play time etc. They would also make it so that the public could SEE and even interact a bit with them! The older kids thought it was awesome...but ohhhh boy! One day we were driving by on the freeway...and they were outside in their play area...the Elephants not my kids...haha...so I beelined it OFF the freeway and I thought...MAYBE this will do the trick! So we all get out of the car and I have Tay in my arms and we start walking up to where the Elephants are playing in the water inside this huge gated area. I am walking slowly...and stopping here and there...talking to her about the Elephants. I feel her grip getting tighter around my neck...I keep talking really calmly to her...telling her how cute they are...and OHHH look they are taking a bath Tay...just like you do....you know...the silly things we say to our children. So just when I think...THIS MIGHT BE WORKING...she tightens her grip even more and makes every attempt to climb to the top of my head and SHE PEES ALL OVER ME! So this...we will call a FAILED attempt!
So we get home...and now that I have traumatized my child...I begin thinking she will never sleep in her own bed...EVER!!!! She is forever going to be convinced that there is a FEE FEET under her bed! So it hits me...I have a light bulb moment like NEVER before....this is SURE TO WORK......
My next move is to the kitchen....I grab the spray bottle that I use for spritzing the plants and ok...ya I admit...the kids! I then go and find one of the kids books that has an Elephant in it...and I make a copy of it on the copier. I taped it on...and I found a red sharpie and drew that big ANTI circle on it with the line through it!!! She couldn't read so what did it matter??? It was the principal!! HAHA!
I go and find Taylor and I show her WHAT MOMMY HAS FOUND!!!! FEE FEET GO AWAY SPRAY!!! I give her the bottle of what she then called FEE FEET SPRAY and of course its just filled with water...and I take her to her room...and we SPRAY EVERYWHERE....she says FEE FEET GO AWAY....we sprayed under her bed...in her closet...she went nuts. And I let her! She giggled...she laughed...and she sprayed away!!!! We did it that night before bed too!!! JUST in case we missed one! Ya know what??? IT WORKED!!! We had to keep the spray in her room...on her little dresser...but ya know what??? EVERY TIME she even thought of an Elephant...or Fee Feet...she would get her trusty spray bottle and spray away! For me it was a giggle...but for her...it was comfort in a spray bottle! Her very own Anti Elephant Spray!
I have shared this with friends who had children and Boogie Man issues...and this works great! I know it sounds so silly!!! But IT JUST DOES! It gives them a little bit of control in their fears....and us...a peaceful nights sleep! So next time your little one has a Monster in their closet...grab your spray bottle and draw a funny monster on it...let them go crazy! And then...you...go get some rest!
Let me know how this works for you! I'd love to hear your feedback. OR things you have done to help your little ones through their fears!
All of us along with our children...and for some of us...even our Grandchildren now have at some point or another been fearful or afraid of something or another, especially at night! Mostly it's at the young tender age of between 2-8 yrs old...some even beyond that age...but we have all felt it at one point or another. It typically begins with our little ones doing there best to convince us that there is a "Boogie man" or "Monster" in their closet or under their beds. We relentlessly make every attempt to convince them that there is nothing there! Well when our youngest...Taylor who is now 15, was little....she had a HORRIBLE fear of Elephants!!! ELEPHANTS of all things!!! She was so little she called them "FEE FEETS" Ya I know...Fee Feets! But that was her word for them! I had tried EVERYTHING...taken her to the library and showed her pictures....showed her them on TV...it just made her fear STRONGER! IT was the oddest thing I tell ya!
Living here in the Reno-Sparks Lake Tahoe area we have a LOT of casinos...so we even took her to a local Hotel Casino that at the time had Elephants for a huge show. During the day they would take the Elephants outside and give them their baths...have play time etc. They would also make it so that the public could SEE and even interact a bit with them! The older kids thought it was awesome...but ohhhh boy! One day we were driving by on the freeway...and they were outside in their play area...the Elephants not my kids...haha...so I beelined it OFF the freeway and I thought...MAYBE this will do the trick! So we all get out of the car and I have Tay in my arms and we start walking up to where the Elephants are playing in the water inside this huge gated area. I am walking slowly...and stopping here and there...talking to her about the Elephants. I feel her grip getting tighter around my neck...I keep talking really calmly to her...telling her how cute they are...and OHHH look they are taking a bath Tay...just like you do....you know...the silly things we say to our children. So just when I think...THIS MIGHT BE WORKING...she tightens her grip even more and makes every attempt to climb to the top of my head and SHE PEES ALL OVER ME! So this...we will call a FAILED attempt!
So we get home...and now that I have traumatized my child...I begin thinking she will never sleep in her own bed...EVER!!!! She is forever going to be convinced that there is a FEE FEET under her bed! So it hits me...I have a light bulb moment like NEVER before....this is SURE TO WORK......
My next move is to the kitchen....I grab the spray bottle that I use for spritzing the plants and ok...ya I admit...the kids! I then go and find one of the kids books that has an Elephant in it...and I make a copy of it on the copier. I taped it on...and I found a red sharpie and drew that big ANTI circle on it with the line through it!!! She couldn't read so what did it matter??? It was the principal!! HAHA!
I go and find Taylor and I show her WHAT MOMMY HAS FOUND!!!! FEE FEET GO AWAY SPRAY!!! I give her the bottle of what she then called FEE FEET SPRAY and of course its just filled with water...and I take her to her room...and we SPRAY EVERYWHERE....she says FEE FEET GO AWAY....we sprayed under her bed...in her closet...she went nuts. And I let her! She giggled...she laughed...and she sprayed away!!!! We did it that night before bed too!!! JUST in case we missed one! Ya know what??? IT WORKED!!! We had to keep the spray in her room...on her little dresser...but ya know what??? EVERY TIME she even thought of an Elephant...or Fee Feet...she would get her trusty spray bottle and spray away! For me it was a giggle...but for her...it was comfort in a spray bottle! Her very own Anti Elephant Spray!
I have shared this with friends who had children and Boogie Man issues...and this works great! I know it sounds so silly!!! But IT JUST DOES! It gives them a little bit of control in their fears....and us...a peaceful nights sleep! So next time your little one has a Monster in their closet...grab your spray bottle and draw a funny monster on it...let them go crazy! And then...you...go get some rest!
Let me know how this works for you! I'd love to hear your feedback. OR things you have done to help your little ones through their fears!
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