18 Month Old Getting Scared...

Updated on March 06, 2009
L.P. asks from Spokane, WA
12 answers

Ok...so my 18 month old daughter is terrified of something in mine and my husbands bedroom, she has been it the room with us many times and everything has been ok...until the other day, she was standing in the kitchen and was looking towards our bedroom and then started to back up and then got this terrified look on her face started pointing at the room and then started crying, I picked her up and she was as stiff as a board! She then did the same thing later in the day but was looking out the window to our backyard. I have tried taking her into the bedroom and to the backyard to show her that there is nothing to be scared of...and that didnt work! :( I dont know what elso to do...this has been going on for a few days. Is this normal?

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J.C.

answers from Spokane on

I agree with the others that you might have a spirit. Kids can see things we cant because they don't know any different. They haven't been conditioned not to see it.
My son has seen things since he was 2 and still sees things today and hes 15. try to get her to show you what it is, its difficult if she doesn't talk much I know we went through it until my son was 4 or so.

help her out as much as you can and do reserch on the subject if thats what you are dealing with.

good luck

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A.H.

answers from Seattle on

Hi...Ok so I have read what the other two moms have put and those are very great ideas, and possiable reasons for what the matter is. SO I feel a little wierd saying this, but maybe she is special and can see spirits. Little kids are usually the ones who notice them the most because they haven't had society to tell them different. My two neices who I have been really close to since birth, both can see spirits. The oldest can see them now, and when she was younger, and the younger one used to see them, but hasn't spoke of them in a long time. But she too is afraid to go into a room by herself ( they live in a split level home, and she shares a bedroom with her sister downstairs, mom and dad and other sister and brother, toddlers, are upstairs). So it is a possiablity, or like the other two moms said it could be just a medicine, or a shaddow or a spirit. Good luck and I hope she is doing well. It terrifies me when little kids get that scared.

Mom to Logan, 3 years old, step mom to Katelynn 8 1/2 years old and auntie to 4. Married for almost 7 months to a wonderful husband, been with him for 6 1/2 years. Work seasonal for H&R block.

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J.D.

answers from Portland on

This might sound strange and some don't believe in this kind of thing but.......you may have a spirit in your house. It has been documented many times that some little children can see spirits. I know a lot of people would think that, that is ridiculous but I have read a lot about spirits and ghost hunting and such because I just find it fasinating. I personally have never seen anything like that first hand but, I have read a lot on the subject. It may be something to consider.....

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L.O.

answers from Seattle on

Does your daughter watch TV? Or is the TV on when she is around? I would really wonder if she saw something on TV that has made her scared. It is so hard for kids to separate reality from what they see on TV. I know sometimes my husband will be watching football on TV and then a commercial will come on for a scary movie and my daughters will just be glued to it. They are so curious, but it's really not appropriate for their eyes. We try to mute all commercials or turn off the TV during commercials, and never have anything scary or inappropriate on the the TV if they are around. I hope she can find peace soon! If you are someone who prays, maybe you and your daughter could pray about it together. My daughters always receive peace after we pray.

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N.W.

answers from Eugene on

i think its pretty normal. My oldest daughter at that age suddenly became afraid of the reflection of the lights on the tile floor of walmart.

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S.M.

answers from Spokane on

Has she been taking Advil for any sickness at all? When my daughter was two she had a high fever, so I gave her Advil (Ibuprofen) and with about an hour she was was having hallucinations - pointing at things and screaming and we could not calm her down! When looking up adverse effects of advil on people, having hallucinations is one of them (when it brings down a high fever). Needless to say, we don't give her advil anymore!!

Good luck - I hope you can figure out what is going on.

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B.P.

answers from Seattle on

My sisters 3 yr old grandaughter hid behind her legs once as her eyes followed something go across the room. Nothing was there, but she was watching something. Have your house blessed and cleaned of spirits and be sure to let her know that she can tell them to go away.

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A.M.

answers from Eugene on

I am going to go out on a limb and second the last response about the possibility that she is seeing things that you cant, such as spirits...it is definitely not that far fetched for children of this age. They are much more open to different energy frequencies until they begin to mature--some kids can keep this gift forever, some lose it as they get older. Is she sensitive with other things as well? I've had some interesting moments with my daughter since she was about the same age, but she never seemed scared, more intrigued so it always intrigued me. The fact that it is frightening your daughter, whatever it is, is the part that would concern me. I don't know how much she can articulate at this point, but if she can understand and at least respond yes or no, maybe you could ask her what she sees, like colors, or shapes and reassure her that it is okay and even normal. Or tell her about angels and that they are there to keep her safe ; ) That in itself might make her feel better--part of it may be that she is alarmed that you arent seeing whatever she is. Of course, this is just one possibility, but i wouldn't rule it out, especially if it is happening randomly, and you really don't see anything that could be freaking her out (I would also look at every little thing from the perspective of an 18 month old and think if the size, shape, or placement of an object in your room might be the cause--they have a lot to take in and process and sometimes something you would never think of as scary is viewed totally differently by their imaginative minds that have no boundaries for reality!) Anyway, good luck and I hope you figure it out, or at least ease her fears!

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C.F.

answers from Portland on

My son was a little bit older (by a few months) when he started being scared all the time. it was around the time of Halloween and he had seen something on TV at the sitter's house about ghosts. He became convinced that there were ghosts everywhere, all the time. It turned out that the ghosts he referred to were shadows. He was extremely afraid of shadows for a couple of weeks, and then we finally were able to make him understand what shadows were. Now he thinks they are funny (he's about 2-1/2). I don't know if this is what your daughter is really afraid of- but it wouldn't hurt to explore that. My son went through a period at that time where he was afraid to go into any room at all in the house by himself, and sometimes just refused to walk anywhere, even across the room by himself.

Good luck. I was really afraid, myself, at the time, for my son. I started thinking maybe he really was seeing ghosts until we figured out the problem. It was so hard to watch him be so afraid and really have no control over it, until a couple days passed, and he was able to really let us know what was the problem. I don't know how verbal your daughter is- but it would've been a lot harder when my boy was 18 months and really not able to communicate too terribly well in words.

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A.D.

answers from Portland on

I think it is normal. They have very active and developing imaginations and do not have the verbal skills to explain what they are seeing or thinking. I quickly read some of the other responses you've gotten, and I don't want to de-bunk the possibility that she can see something you can't, but it seems to me the real question is how to handle this situation. I think instead of trying to convince her that there is nothing there and she shouldn't be scared, I think you could try validating her fear, and telling her it's OK to be scared sometimes, but that you are there to keep her safe. Maybe she can draw a picture of what she saw or act it out, or maybe she needs to have a lovey with her more often. I think it's a normal developmental stage to be testing her independence, but also feel scared about it and maybe just validating her fear (but also not making a huge deal over it) is what she needs.

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E.B.

answers from Portland on

I am intrigued by the spirit idea. My first thought however, was that she saw something in the yard, like maybe a raccoon or oppossum or somthing that is not normally there. Tree shadows in the moonlight can be terrifying. I remember being a teenager and being paranoid about seeing a face in the window, because I had a bad experience on a greyhound bus once. I think its normal, and I bet its frustrating. I wish you the best.

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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

I would not be so quick to tell her there is nothing there, because if she is seeing something or someone, you will make her feel like she is crazy. My oldest son has seen spirits since he was born. At night I can hear him talking to them sometimes. Luckily he was never scared, but my youngest was. I explained to him that most spirits mean him no harm, and that if they are scaring him he should simply let them know and ask them to leave. This works every time he is scared. We also smudged the house with Sage to balance out the energy's and ask any negative spirits to leave us in peace. If you would like any advice on how to cleanse and balance your house, feel free to send me a message. I got pretty good at it when I was living in England, a lot of old houses with long history's!

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