Help! Toddler fear of others?

[rachellanigh]

My 2.5 year old is starting a pattern of freaking out at other people "helping him."

For example, we took him to get his hair cut three seperate times and he refused (after all kinds of tricks) to get it cut.

He would not let his sweet preschool teacher put on a art smock.

He freaked out when I went to get his foot measured at the shoe store.

He would not let his teacher put on his Halloween costume.

What the heck is going on and how can I help him not to be afraid?? PS..He wouldn't let me cut his hair either or measure his foot.

[mommy2abigail]

I was about to post the SAME thing! My 2.5 year old is going through a very fearful stage. THings that she used to NEVER flinch at, she is bawling over. A bug, a mushroom, a leaf rustling in the wind. And she is crying over everything too, I started a post on that a few weeks ago. I am just trying to deal with each fear indivudually, instead of looking at them all together. So, if it's the 398752 time she's cried over something, I try not to look at it at the 398752 time, you know. I try to just look at THAT situation in the moment. And I (try!) to remember that she has a right to feel how she feels, and start there. I have stopped trying to fix everything for her. Sometimes I sit there and let her cry or whatever and just remind her I'm there. But I don't fix everything. Because in doing that I feel like I'm depriving her of working things out for herself. Of course I help her when she asks for it, but most times she is just frustrated or fearful and needs to simply feel that. I try REALLY hard not to say "There's nothing to be afraid of" although I have said it to her once or twice, totally out of frustration. I show her that I'm not afraid, by picking up the bug or whatever and showing her, but if she is still scared, I just let it go. I do think it's a phase, hopefully one they will grow out of quickly! It's exhausting to have to deal with crying all. day. long.!!!! :

[rachellanigh]

I'm so glad I'm not alone in my frustrations. I just felt so helpless when we were trying to measure his foot yesterday. In my mind we needed to get it done then because he has an extra wide foot and I needed to get the right fit. Having a 6 month old also doesn't leave me alot of time to traipse to the mall very often. I just didn't know how to gently get him to measure his foot. Sigh. One of those times when I just want to do something I shouldn't. I felt so powerless!