What to do when little ones are afraid

Nighttime and the Dark

Let's be honest.  Sometimes the dark can be scary.  You can't see what's in front of you.  You may hear strange sounds, and you think maybe something is under your bed or hiding in your closet.

I can remember being nervous living in our first home because it was just so strange living in a house by myself when John was at work.  I hated being alone.

So I can understand when at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m.  Mark will climb into my bed and say, "Mommy I'm afraid."  I don't want to yell at him or shoo him away (although sleep is really important right now).  I just let him climb in so he feels secure for a few minutes and then I say, "Mark come on mommy will turn on your lamp so you can see in your room."  And he doesn't protest, he just climbs out and grabs my hand and we walk to his room.  After turning the small light on and tucking him in, all is well.

But today, at MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers) we had an awesome speaker shared a verse that I really want to share with my kids tonight before bed.  It's short and easy to memorize and hopefully will stay with them when they do become afraid again.

 Psalm 56: 3 "When I am afraid I will trust in You."

And you know what? It's even good for big people, because often we let our fears, stresses, and worries take over and we forget we have a Father we can totally trust in and rest in, one who makes everything all better.