As Darah has developed her own likes (ice cream, fire trucks) and dislikes (spinach, flies), she has also developed her own fears. I do not always understand them, but that doesn’t make her fear any less real.
Here are the things that I know scare my two year old:
- Smoke Alarms
- Balloons
We are seeing a bit of an improvement in her fear of balloons (slowly but surely), but the smoke alarm issue is one we deal with every single day. We find ourselves having conversations about how the sound is scary, and why a smoke alarm goes off, and how there’s no smoke in the house and isn’t that wonderful?, and how smoke alarms want to protect us. Some days she seems to make peace with them and move on with life, and other days, she seems almost completely fixated on them.
If you child battles with a fear of something that causes him/her anxiety, you may want to consider getting some Bravery in a Bottle. These products have been developed by a very savvy stay-at-home mom named Nancy to help children cope with four very common fears: monsters, storms, needing courage (for things like doctor’s appointments) and homesickness.
From Nancy, “Children tend to feel small and often powerless. The world can seem big, frightening, and confusing. Vivid imaginations contribute to their fears. The symbol for the things children find scary and feel might harm them, manifests itself in the form of “monsters.”
The best way to solve childhood fears is to give children the feeling of control and power over what is frightening to them. An excellent way to overcome these fears is to tell the child a story about a protective monster that watches over them. In addition, a picture of a friendly monster – like our awesome logo Winston – is superb in helping them frighten away the “bad” monsters.
Aromatherapy sprays with essential oils create an actual soothing effect. Give them “bravery in a bottle”. Empowering children is key to overcoming their fears.”
We received the organic Winston plush. I will NEVER forget the day he came in the mail, because Darah’s reaction to him was absolutely priceless. When I opened the box for her and let her look inside, she said, “Oooh! An owl! (Winston has large eyes, so I’m guessing that’s why she thought he was an owl). I explained that he was actually a very helpful monster, to which she replied, “He’s my best friend!” Then she gave him a big hug, and hopped (literally…like a rabbit) from the dining room where we opened the package to her room, where she introduced him to bunny. On the way, she declared that he was, “So cool!”
So yeah, Darah was pretty smitten with her little monster! I’ve encouraged Darah to give Winston a sniff when she is feeling a little bit scared (he is infused with Monster Vapor) and that does seem to help a bit. I would recommend ordering a bottle of the Monster Vapor along with the plush so that you can freshly scent Winston when he is needed.
I really like that Nancy has created a friend to help chase away those scared feelings, and that she has also created blends of something very natural, essential oils, to help children calm down a bit. It’s very hard to be logical, after all, when you can’t calm down! The oils that are included in each product are listed so that you know what’s in there, too.
Buy it!: Bravery in a Bottle products are all available online. The scent-infused plush we reviewed retails for $15.99 and the essential oil sprays are $12.00 each.
Win it!: One of you will win a bottle of Monster Vapor! Woo hoo! [Read more…]