fear of darkness

Hi i have a little cousin who is 6 years old, i wanted to know wether it is normal for children at that age to be afraid of the dark? and also wanted to know if anyone else knows someone at that age with the same fear and what they have done to help get over it?

[margypops]

Time does it very often something triggers it in the begining but many children are afraid of the dark, best to let them have a hall light on ,with the bedroom door open,I dont think it is something that you can help them get over, as they get older it dissipates , I was a child like this , Trauma triggered it and it contiunued through my childhood, but it went once I became a teen,I still like the bedroom door open but I am not afraid of the dark...

[specialmom]

I agree with Margypops.  Kids of 6 have very vivid imaginations and all kinds of things (even those wonderful Disney movies) can scare them.  I would try not to worry about it as most kids will eventually out grow it.  My 6 year old has had a light on (not just a night light but a 60 watt lamp) on evey night since he was 4.  I'm not to worried about it as it sits in the corner of his room and it allows him to sleep peacefully.  The lightbulb has gone out a few times and he is fine.  In the past he would start yelling for us to fix it if he woke up and the light was out.  Now he just goes back to sleep.  He isn't ready to give it up yet but I bet he will in the not too distant future.  There are adults that like a night light---------   I did until I got married and my husband who likes it pitch black got me used to no light.  Before that . . . even I used a night light.  Take care

[helpingme]

Thank you for you reply’s, I am also hoping that she grows out of her fear. I am design student currently doing a project based on this issue; I have taken my little cousins fear and would like to create a product which will help children like my cousin throughout their fear. Could you recommend possible design solutions for such a case? (What would be a cool gadget for a child to have at bed time?)

[helpingme]

You said that you had the same fear as a kid! Could you tell me a little about you’re experiences, I hope I am not freaking you out or something, I just  am trying to gather as much useful information as I can to get a sense of what kind of product I could create for these children?