Published on 12, July, 2020
Evening,
I've never posted here before so don't know whether this is appropriate but I am in desperate need of some help forming strategies to aide my 8 year old daughter with her outright terror of flies.
The sun is shining which is great news for most of the world but I'm afraid a certain gut stirring dread is attached to the warm summer rays in our household. The fear is very real and very consuming. All windows and doors must be shut and any family member being outside the house can spark a tremendous melt down. The strange thing is that although the fly fear is ever present in our lives, it is much, much worse when we're at home.
Has anybody experienced this either as a parent or has anybody had these fears themselves? Any help that can be offered would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks in advance.
Apologies, I didn't state on my original question but my daughter is autistic. She wears ear defender's most of the time. Thanks
oktanol said:Is she afraid of flies specifically or just of all flying insects, with flies just being the most abundant ones?
I agree. Yes, Please specify. Also tell us if it is BIG insects, or LITTLE insects, or certain colours or certain noises. This is important to know, since there are different ways of dealing with different insects... Indoors.
In the meantime... some advice would be to not show "terror" in front of your child, whilst confronted with things which they may show to you as "terrifiying" to them... in doing so, it grows into a genuine Phobia.
Also, some general advice for almost ALL Insects:
Open a large door or Window.
Darken the room so that the light comes from that opening only. (Draw curtains upon the other side of the room.)
The Insect should fly towards the Light, or the Opening, or the "Blue Sky", as it were.
(This does not work for Pests and Moths, or so much at night, which is why we ask you to specify what you mean...!)