My daughter (nearly 3.5) is suddenly scared almost the entire day long. She moved to her own bed about 18 months (she'd get out of our bed and walk into her room and sleep on the floor, maybe I snore hehe) but in the past few weeks has moved back in with me (fine by me, I love the cuddles) but she's also afraid in my room. I thought it might be a night time thing but it isn't - if she's not by my side 100% of the time she freaks out and comes screaming. I know she's seriously scared as she looks absolutely petrified and her heart is beating so hard.
The tricky thing is she has autism and although she is verbal she's not at the point in her language, or cognitively, to tell me why she is scared. If I ask her why she's scared or what she's scared of she just says scared. I've asked her to show me what she's afraid of and again she just says scared. I've tried to reassure her as best as I can and say "bye bye scared" - putting it at her level language-wise and it has no effect.
I would love to figure this out and help her not be so anxious about everything but I am at a loss of what to try now. Any ideas?
The tricky thing is she has autism and although she is verbal she's not at the point in her language, or cognitively, to tell me why she is scared. If I ask her why she's scared or what she's scared of she just says scared. I've asked her to show me what she's afraid of and again she just says scared. I've tried to reassure her as best as I can and say "bye bye scared" - putting it at her level language-wise and it has no effect.
I would love to figure this out and help her not be so anxious about everything but I am at a loss of what to try now. Any ideas?
We have been going to through a similar period with my ds. Not quite as extreme sounding as with yours, but my ds was able to tell me what he was afraid of, which I'm sure helped a lot. A few of my friends with 3 yos have been experiencing the same thing. All of a sudden, Cole was afraid of things he'd been fine with...going ANYwhere by himself (the bathroom...actually, any room!) was the most persistent one. We are just now (5 days before his 4th birthday) starting to come out of it. He will mostly go to the bathroom or upstairs by himself. So it may just be a phase. It's hard to see them so scared though...
