Fantasy Vs. Reality- When Babies Tell the Difference

Halloween is a fun time for kids (and adults) of all ages to be creative, dress up, and act like special characters. They get to take on new roles and let their imaginations run wild. It’s important to remember that for our 2 to 3-year-old’s, the lines between fantasy and reality are very blurred.

So don’t be surprised if your child suddenly seems very afraid of something they’re seeing that to you looks obviously fake, or wouldn’t be possible.

Little children have a hard time drawing the distinction between what is real and what isn’t, and they sometimes get confused and think that what occurs in their heads is happening in the outside world. Or that what they see happening to other objects can happen to them. For example, your toddler during bath-time watches water go down the drain and suddenly may think that she can go down there, too! (Why not??) Your best bet when a fear crops up like this is to be patient and understanding with what to her are very real fears. Validate what she’s feeling, then help her problem solve a solution to feel more comfortable. You can offer one or two examples that you are ok with — for example, “Should we cover the drain while you’re in the bath, and get out of the tub before we open it to let the water out?” Once she feels safe, you can try showing her that there’s nothing to be afraid of You can say something like, “I know water goes down the drain, but look at this big rubber duck — it’s too big — it won’t go through. You are even bigger than the duck, right? So you won’t go down either!”

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