It's 9pm and your 6 year old can't sleep because she fears monsters in her closet. We look, but the suspect monsters are never found. Rarely is this enough to temper a child's fear --they just know the monsters are there! Few have successfully resolved this by simply saying, "There's no such thing as monsters".
While researching the latest trends on battling bedtime monsters, these were the suggestions I got:
Lisa Kirk, NY: "Everyone knows that if you hide under the covers it renders you invisible. The blankets on your bed are an impenetrable barrier. Monsters cannot reach under the blankets, since that would violate the monster/human code."
Brenda Burghardt:, Calif.: "...give your child a spray bottle with water in it. You could even make it together, adding lemon or orange oil. Let your child spray it where the monsters hide. It gives your child power over their fears."
Colleen Pope, MA: "I painted my kids closet with butterflies flowers and trees..inside and out. We made a home for stuffed animals under the bed they visit before bed too."
Thank you, ladies. Invisibility blankets, monster spray, and an army of stuffed animals forted under the bed for protection. These are all great ideas.
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