scared

Hi My child is 31/2 years and is very scared of strangers, noises etc.  if someone rigs the door bell he gets very scared and cries.  If he is amongst a crowd or attends a functions he cries to go home.

Kindly advise as to how to calm/and help him.

Thanks,

Dave

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

All you can do at his age is offer reassurance and try, as best you can, to eliminate sources of anxiety - i.e., those experiences you know will likely unsettle him. It's too early to know if this is the onset of an enduring anxiety disorder (the chances are higher if there is a family history of such a condition) or if it is a transitory phase that will resolve spontaneously.