Fears and phobias are not the same thing.
All of us have fears – kids and adults alike. Many of us even enjoy a good scare now and again (there’s a reason why horror movies do so well). And most fears in our children – real or imagined – eventually respond to reassurance, emotional calming, or distraction.
Halloween is almost here, and its presence is inescapable – from commercials and scary movies on TV to ghosts, goblins, and menacing figures in neighbors’ yards. And while it is an exciting and highly anticipated time for many kids, some look upon it with dread.