I am scared of dogs, and I think I am very very afraid of them because my mother was always very afraid of them.
What have parents found with their kids? Do they pick up on your fears and phobias early on? How do you stop these irrational fears from being passed down?
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
I do think kids pick up on fear. So the fear of dogs for example you're probably afraid of them cause your mom never let you near them or would react in a certain way when she saw them so you picked up on it.
Its not really a fear but I'm a little weird about food...you know things don't really touch on my plate until I want to mix them (I know its a little OCD) so I go out of my way to make sure food I give my son mixes a little bit. He's too young to feed himself but when he does I'll make sure I don't react if food happens to touch on my plate.
I think its all about controling your emotions and reactions to things that scare you or creep you out.
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
Inspiron.. I hear ya!!! My mom was afraid of animals and always kept me away from them.. she even told me that if I was bitten by a dog, i woukd get 14 shots in my tummy!! to this day, I am petrified of animals, be it dog, cat, or even a chicken!
I have no idea what I am going to do with my kid.. we willd efinitely not have a pet but I wont want him to grow up with a fear of animals.. probably his dad will have to take care of it and introduce him to animals and such!!! I would die of heart attack if I saw a dog near my baby!
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
You know my brother is not scared of dogs at all because he copied my dad who is not scared of dogs. So GtG maybe your husband can take your son to a zoo or petting zoo or something??
Honestly being afraid of dogs causes such issues in the west :(
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
I do think kids pick up on fear. So the fear of dogs for example you're probably afraid of them cause your mom never let you near them or would react in a certain way when she saw them so you picked up on it.
Its not really a fear but I'm a little weird about food...you know things don't really touch on my plate until I want to mix them (I know its a little OCD) so I go out of my way to make sure food I give my son mixes a little bit. He's too young to feed himself but when he does I'll make sure I don't react if food happens to touch on my plate.
I think its all about controling your emotions and reactions to things that scare you or creep you out.
Have you noticed any food habits in your son ramsha?
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
You know my brother is not scared of dogs at all because he copied my dad who is not scared of dogs. So GtG maybe your husband can take your son to a zoo or petting zoo or something??
Honestly being afraid of dogs causes such issues in the west :(
Tell me about it...:(
I am scared of cats and dogs ...but my 18.5 mo jumps and runs towards it when she sees a dog...!!
So I think the 'fear' has not passed on to her..not yet.We know the only pet she can ever get will be a goldfish and nothing more than that.I am actually more concerned about hygiene when it comes to pets and all that smooching and cuddling with cats and dogs.
Other fears I had (or still have..!!) were of slides,high swings,roller coaster rides and anything that can spin way too fast...I don't want her to be afraid of these things.And she is not ,as evident by the visits to the park etc.
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
Have you noticed any food habits in your son ramsha?
not yet...he's too young (7 months) but even now I try and do whatever I can to make sure I'm less obssesive around him. I wanted so bad to buy those divided kids plates but didn't :)
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
any fear/phobia which gets stuck in the mind of kids at a young age stays for life IMO. Even I used to be afraid of dogs (sincemy mom was as well and she made me stay away from them) and still if a big one comes near me, I tend to get jumpy.
But there are a lot of fears which tend to develop as we grow up. I remember I wasn't too afraid of the dark or lizards but as I grew up I suddenly was scared of going upstairs all by myself on the terrace as the staircase was in the porch.
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
Like many others I too was very afraid of dogs before my daughter was born.
Once she arrived I realized that she would be learning everything from me.....including things that I had no intention of teaching her....like my irrational fears.
I tried hard and overcame my fear.....as a result she is completely fearless, unless the dog is aggressive and very large....otherwise she absolutely enjoys playing with them.
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
All of my family love cats and dogs and I can't stand them...dogs are too needy and cats are just evil. My youngest sister despo wants a cat and my daddi is willing to let her have one cos they live in the same house, I live 300 miles away and will NEVER allow my sister to get a cat. They are evil. Pure evil.
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
All of my family love cats and dogs and I can't stand them...dogs are too needy and cats are just evil. My youngest sister despo wants a cat and my daddi is willing to let her have one cos they live in the same house, I live 300 miles away and will NEVER allow my sister to get a cat. They are evil. Pure evil.
:(
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
We used to live in the KSA...where stray billies roam around as freely as though they were recognized citizens of the country.
In front of our apartment building (and just off to the side) there was this huge green dumpster. And you had to pass this dumpster everytime you left the building or were coming back. Throughout the years...I could recognize some of those cats. They'd hang around for a few days at a time...and then disappear for weeks. And then you'd see them again.....and you'd know them by their markings. There was the one with the multicolored fur (patches of orange, brown, and black) and another with a torn up tail, I think. Growing up my mom would always warn us never to stare at a cat...or they'd scratch your eyes out. I don't know if there's any truth to that....but I think it may have developed a mild case of aulirophobia in me. Cats creep me out. But I definitely like them better than their canine counterparts. I'm terrified of dogs. At least cats have the good sense to be scared enough to scamper off when they see you approaching..........whereas dogs will chase you and don't discriminate as to who they should run after.....they can't leave well enough alone...and I detest them for it.
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
I’m like that too. I don’t mind seeing animals at a distance…or behind cages (that sounds so cruel, I know 
)..or in various forms of media…but generally speaking, I am not an animal lover. It makes me nervous to even hold one. I’m okay with lizards and squirrels cuz they’re so common where I live…that they don’t really bug me. My dad and siblings are okay with holding animals and going near them…my mom and I not so much. I’ve also never been into books/movies with animals as main characters.
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
:(
Sorries but I can't change how I feels about them.
I even have a cat dushman who lives in my dad's street. IT never lets me cross the road and follows me everywhere and it's black and creepy and evil. One night as my sister and I were walking home, IT came out of under a car and just started vexing at me. I acutally had to scream 'NO, LEAVE ME ALONE' My sister wet her knickers as I tried to cross the road with the vexing cat blocking my way. I can't remember how I made it home in the end but my sister made sure everyone found out about it. My daddi suggested I try giving the cat some milk! Whattheflip, I ain't feeding the evil cat who won't let me cross the road.
Plus, the sound of cats crying...CREEPY!
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
We used to live in the KSA...where stray billies roam around as freely as though they were recognized citizens of the country.
In front of our apartment building (and just off to the side) there was this huge green dumpster. And you had to pass this dumpster everytime you left the building or were coming back. Throughout the years...I could recognize some of those cats. They'd hang around for a few days at a time...and then disappear for weeks. And then you'd see them again.....and you'd know them by their markings. There was the one with the multicolored fur (patches of orange, brown, and black) and another with a torn up tail, I think. Growing up my mom would always warn us never to stare at a cat...or they'd scratch your eyes out. I don't know if there's any truth to that....but I think it may have developed a mild case of aulirophobia in me. Cats creep me out. But I definitely like them better than their canine counterparts. I'm terrified of dogs. At least cats have the good sense to be scared enough to scamper off when they see you approaching..........whereas dogs will chase you and don't discriminate as to who they should run after.....they can't leave well enough alone...and I detest them for it.
I find dogs to be too stupid to leave well alone, it's not cos they are not scared, they just don't get that you don't like them. Urgh...dogs at the beach..ANNOYING!
I've never met a scaredy cat..ever. They are clever, manipulative nittle fur balls who try and intimate you with their creepy eyes and sharp nails.
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
I find dogs to be too stupid to leave well alone, it's not cos they are not scared, they just don't get that you don't like them. Urgh...dogs at the beach..ANNOYING!
I've never met a scaredy cat..ever. They are clever, manipulative nittle fur balls who try and intimate you with their creepy eyes and sharp nails.
That's what my students and I were talking about a few weeks ago....dogs and how they will just chase after anything...even when you don't provoke them. It's their lack of discrimination that makes them stupid to me. It doesn't help that I've had a couple bad experiences with them. My students are afraid of em too...like so many of them...I wonder if has to do with it being a Muslim school.
Really? I've seen most of them scamper off (thank God). But yes, that creepy way in which they follow you with their eyes...the way their shoulder blades move when they walk...those stealthy movement...shudders And why the hell are some of those dometic things as big as leopards? I've also heard that sometimes pet cats will turn on you....jump on you/scratch you aggressively out of nowehere...cuz they get this brain disease.
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
Sorries but I can't change how I feels about them.
I even have a cat dushman who lives in my dad's street. IT never lets me cross the road and follows me everywhere and it's black and creepy and evil. One night as my sister and I were walking home, IT came out of under a car and just started vexing at me. I acutally had to scream 'NO, LEAVE ME ALONE' My sister wet her knickers as I tried to cross the road with the vexing cat blocking my way. I can't remember how I made it home in the end but my sister made sure everyone found out about it. My daddi suggested I try giving the cat some milk! Whattheflip, I ain't feeding the evil cat who won't let me cross the road.
Plus, the sound of cats crying...CREEPY!
LOL...I agree about the crying sounds though, they scare me too.
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
Dogs tend to be calm if you act normal.. if you start running they tend to think you want to play :DBeing a dog-owner it's quite easy for me to differentiate now between an angry or aggressive bark and a playful one.. 90% of the time they just want to make friends with you but are a bit over enthusiastic..
My mum was scared of dogs and passed that fear onto me.. until my teens.. One day I went out and got a cute little puppy.. he was so small he could literally fit into the palm of my hand.. And now I can't even imagine living without a dog :)
Re: Passing on fears and phobias
Inspiron.. I hear ya!!! My mom was afraid of animals and always kept me away from them.. she even told me that if I was bitten by a dog, i woukd get 14 shots in my tummy!!
she's right! my mom was bitten by the neighbours dog when she was 5 and she had to go through the 14 shots.
i'm ok with dogs now- i used to be scared but then we got our cats and now i'm all for pets. hopefully the kid will also grow up to love animals.