TerryB
11-16-2005, 06:44 AM
It has been two weeks since I let my 9 year old go to a haunted house with her Girl Scout troop. I know my daughter is sensitive to scarey things but since the haunted house was run by the Girl Scouts I thought how bad could it be and I was also told that the people running it are sensitive to when a child is just getting too frightened. As far as I know, no other girl has had the trouble that my daughter has afterwards.
There were moving pictures and doors in the house. Ever since my daughter is afraid of walking by a picture. We've tried to tell her about all the trick that were used to make the pictures and doors move. I've hung underwear and toilet paper on our pictures to make them less scarey. I've had her draw sketches of pictures making them appear funny like putting a pacifier in mouth of whomever was pictured or diapers on the picture. We've torn these drawings up and put them in the trash. I've had her try to boss the fears away - "I'm not afraid of you" etc... I've rewarded her with points for every time she can pass a picture or go through a door by herself. When she has enough points she gets a prize.
We are making progress but it is real slow. It's almost like she has post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the exposure to the haunted house. I made an appointment with a pyschologist for December 2nd but my daughter says she can't wait that long because she is so miserable. Does anyone have any advise?
Terry
There were moving pictures and doors in the house. Ever since my daughter is afraid of walking by a picture. We've tried to tell her about all the trick that were used to make the pictures and doors move. I've hung underwear and toilet paper on our pictures to make them less scarey. I've had her draw sketches of pictures making them appear funny like putting a pacifier in mouth of whomever was pictured or diapers on the picture. We've torn these drawings up and put them in the trash. I've had her try to boss the fears away - "I'm not afraid of you" etc... I've rewarded her with points for every time she can pass a picture or go through a door by herself. When she has enough points she gets a prize.
We are making progress but it is real slow. It's almost like she has post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the exposure to the haunted house. I made an appointment with a pyschologist for December 2nd but my daughter says she can't wait that long because she is so miserable. Does anyone have any advise?
Terry