From the author: Published in the magazine To whom does Barmaley come? A small child is afraid of everything new and unknown, animates objects and fairy-tale characters. Typically, fears in children are caused by age. But often they appear due to the fault of the parents, and it takes a very long time to get rid of them. Everyone was once afraid of a black hand. There are several age periods of increased sensitivity to fear. From 3 to 5 years old, a little person’s emotional sphere is actively developing, so there is a lot of anxiety. Most often, children are afraid of the dark. From the age of 5-6, when the intellect is formed, the child begins to understand what to be afraid of, so fears become not only emotional, but also meaningful. A younger student may be afraid of death. At this age, the child begins to understand that growing up at some stage leads to the fact that a person dies. This fear manifests itself through fear of attack, darkness, illness and death of parents, terrible dreams, fire, etc. Often, if there is a cheerful atmosphere in the family, children themselves cope with such experiences. The fears of the “Queen of Spades” and “Black Hand” reign, which also reflect the awe of death. Children in this age period worry that they will not be those “who are well spoken about.” Teenagers are usually afraid of “not being themselves,” of looking worse than they are. In general, these fears are normal. But sometimes they can become a problem. When does fear take serious forms? Usually, fear itself disappears with age, without affecting a person’s personal values ​​and character. Sometimes it even performs a kind of protective function, as it keeps people from encountering any threat. But fear can also be abnormal if it manifests itself in the form of horror, emotional shock, shock, or it drags on, becomes obsessive and uncontrollable by consciousness. If fear affects relationships with others (for example, a child does not want to be friends with anyone), or adaptation to life (nowhere without a mother), then it is worth thinking about solving the problem. Where do fears come from? The most well-known way fear appears is this is a traumatic experience (for example, if a child is very frightened of something, gets burned, etc.). Fears can be instilled. Adults can involuntarily infect a child with anxiety. For example, if often, when worried, they indicate the presence of danger like: “Don’t climb - you’ll fall”, “Don’t touch - it will bite.” The child does not yet understand what this entails, but he already recognizes the alarm signal: he begins to feel fear. And if a child is often intimidated, just in case, then he may lose self-confidence. Fears begin to multiply, the child becomes more careful. Talking in front of children about illnesses, death, accidents, murders against their will is imprinted in their minds and can lead to the appearance of fear. But most importantly, if the father or mother is worried about something or something is not working out in family relationships, then the parents will most likely pass on their worries to the child. For example, if a mother is afraid of any animals or riding in an elevator, then she will try to warn the child against this by sharing her own fears with him. How to identify fears? Analyze what you yourself have been afraid of since childhood (for example, doing something wrong or height, etc.). Surely, some of this will appear in your child too. Fears can be detected by observing the child’s behavior and talking to him. It is better to talk in a playful way, for example, while doing drawing. Try to ask in such a way that children give detailed rather than monosyllabic answers. Periodically encourage your child, praise him. How to get rid of fear? The main thing is how you relate to fears. Try not to worry, judge or punish your child for having them. If the fear is mild, then it is best to distract the baby, interest him in something, for example, a game or ask him to water the flowers, put the toys back in their place. The more often a child shows interest in something, the more