School Busses and Boogeymen

I had a short conversation with Zari the other day about all of the things she was afraid of (my attempt at preparing her for her first foray into the "real world" a.k.a. Pre-K next week).

As she explained in her best "4-going-on-25-year-old" logic how noises in the dark make her think there are monsters in the room and how being alone downstairs makes her afraid that something will "get her", my adult mind automatically wanted to dismiss her fears as silly but I didn't.

I didn't because I realized that I also may have fears or anxieties that other may find "silly" or irrational and the last thing I want to hear is that those things that haunt me are unwarranted and/or impossible. For instance, I'm afraid to EVER let me daughter ride a school bus. Too much shi stuff goes wrong on school busses these days and I'd rather just avoid those possibilities altogether. Now some of you may think that's "silly" but no one is going to convince me that "there's nothing to worry about" on those rolling, yellow, vehicles of danger.

I read somewhere that instead of dismissing your child's fears, you should use rationale and logic to help dispel those fears. So instead of saying "there's no such thing as monsters" I should say something like "Daddy won't let any monsters get you" or "monsters only live on school busses" or something along those lines. I get it.

Then it hit me; right now it's monsters, next year it may be swimming, and then public speaking, new schools, dating (cool with that one), leaving home, etc. There will always be a new fear for us to help them through, even as adults. I guess that's just one of the job descriptions of parenting. Always be there to apply rationale and logic to help them overcome the "fear of the day" so that they can continue moving forward.

Just not on a school bus. JS.