If your child has a fear of the dark, you must note that it is absolutely normal but if it can sometimes get in the way especially when they need to wake up (and wake you up to turn on the lights) in the middle of the night to visit the toilet!
So if this is what’s happening to you right now and you are looking for some ways to help ease your child’s fears… you can consider these four tips:
#1 – Nightlights & Lamps
Nightlights and lamps are the easiest ways to ease your child’s fear of the dark, but some children may not be able to resist the urge to unplug nightlights and plug them back in. Some nightlights also have exposed bulbs, so in addition to being a shock hazard, kids can easily break the bulb or burn their little fingers. LED nightlights are the safest, but small children need to understand that they cannot be played with. Lamps are another option, and those having different light settings are the best (like touch lamps). If you are concerned about safety and do not mind to pay a little bit more… you may wish to consider those nightlights developed for kids and with safety in mind (like the penguin above).
If you are concerned about going green and would like to keep the electricity down, you may want to consider putting an automatic light timer on the outlets so the lights will automatically shut off after a certain amount of time.
#2 – Flashlights & Personal lights
Little flashlights and keychain lights are less of a hazard but can eat up a lot of batteries (which can be an ongoing cost) so you may want to consider rechargeable flashlights and lanterns(though a little more expensive) as they tend to cost a lot less as compared to replacing batteries every night. If flashlights are out of the question, glow in the dark wristbands or glow sticks are another option. Light charged bands can be found online or most dollar stores, and so can the ‘snap’ type glow sticks, just make sure that the snap glow sticks are non toxic.
#3 – Music
Sometimes you can ease your child’s fear of the dark, simply by adding music or sound to their room before the sleep. The music should be relaxing and not something they can or will want to sing along to, which would prevent them from wanting to fall asleep. Forest sounds, waves or classical music are all great choices. There are children’s toys that combine light and sound and also come with an automatic shut off, but sometimes they can be more stimulating than soothing.
#4 – Glow in the Dark Paint and Stickers
Not only is this idea cheap, fun and easy but kids can take part in the creation. Glow in the dark stickers should only be used on the ceiling to prevent kids from trying to unstick them later on, but glow in the dark paint can be used anywhere you child’s little heart desires. Before your child heads to bed, be sure to leave the light on in their room for at least 10 minutes in order to charge up the glow in the dark paint and/or stickers.