Question for the experts

[Mani]

A lot of children develop irrational fears like:

being afraid a monster is under the bed
a thief is hiding behind the door.

In general kids are more scared of the dark. Children know that theres not gonna be a crocodile under the bed, yet they still have these fears. Do we consider that TMS? It would fall on the ocd spectrum too but seeing as its more common for children id think theres something else at play. Are these irrational fears a way of coping with unfelt emotions, even in children?

 

[Cactusflower]

The primitive brain tends to veer to the negative: through evolution we had to be on guard to keep safe.
Some people are more sensitive to that, some may have not been taught when danger is real and when it is perceived, some may simply never found the comfort from their fears..

 

[JanAtheCPA]

I agree, these are normal experiences of childhood. The difference in outcomes depends on how, or even if, the parent(s) responds and helps the child to face and manage these normal everyday anxieties of childhood. This is an essential influence which results in either a functional or a dysfunctional adult. Children must be nurtured and protected while they also learn the skills to be confident and self-sufficient when they eventually must go out on their own.