5 Year Old with Panic Attack

When that same thing happened to a 4 yr old that I was babysitting for, I explained to him what the noise was. I said that there was some really cold air floating in the sky. Then there was some hot air floating in the sky. All of a sudden, the cold air and hot air bumped into each other and it was so funny! I made it very dramatic, like a story. He didn't cry anymore. Every time we would hear it again we would say, " Oh my goodness! There they go again! Bumping into each other!" Then we would have a good laugh about it! I hope that helps.

I would explain what thunder, lightning and storms are to her, even check out some books at the library to show her. I also would stop trying to reassure her about the tires, etc., because in her mind YOU could be the one making a big deal out of it. Do validate her feelings by telling her everyone gets scared of things sometimes, it's OK to be frightened.

And, as Dawn B. said, do contact your pediatrician if nothing works, she seriously may have post traumatic stress syndrome and need professional help to overcome it❤

You've gotten terrific advice so far. In addition to mirroring her feelings, take some time in between thunderstorms to teach her how to pay attention to her breathing. For just a few minutes every day, work with her to count her breaths, 1, 2, 3, in…, 1, 2, 3, out. This is very centering and peaceful for most people (you may enjoy it, too). Help her until it becomes easy and habitual for her. Then begin to point out that she has some real control over her breath, and that can be a safe place for her to go to when something scares her that she can't make stop, like thunder.

Next time there's a storm, sit with her and do the breathing excercise, if she is able. She may not be able to do this for awhile, or ever, while she's freaked out. But some kids can use it, and it's a nice option to try.

But mirroring will probably be much more effective than reason at giving her space to sort through her own reactions. Let her have them until she doesn't any more. Let her hyperventilate, and even throw up, and don't act like there's anything wrong or unnatural about that. This will be hard for you, but try it; it may really start to turn things around.

There is also a fairly simple process used to turn around traumatic reactions called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensetization and Reprocessing) that has been very effective for a few people I've known. It is non-invasive and can be used safely with young children. Here's one link: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/emdr-what-is-it

I agree with SingleMa and Marda. You will do better to mirror her feelings, "Thunder is scary, isn't it," etc., than to try and reassure her and tell her she shouldn't feel that way.

The more people try to convince people that their feelings aren't valid, the more strongly they will feel them. If you will just try to mirror her feelings, you will find that she quickly calms down.

I suggest you stop trying to reassure her. The more you reassure her the more likely she's to feel that there must be something wrong for you to try so hard. Be sympathetic. Tell her you know she's scare and it's OK. Hold her without telling her it won't happen again or what ever you say. Just hold her. Let her know it's OK to be scared.

I like Leah M.'s idea to explain to her about thunder. Tell a story about rain. Get some books from the library with stories about the weather. Read them when she's not scared and when she's scared. Read books about being afraid and how the child in the story dealt with their fear. Ask the children's librarian for suggestions.

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Post- traumatic stress. For your daughter , it was a traumatic event. When she hears lighting, thunder, it is like a trigger to her. She starts to remember the accident and the fear that she experienced. Any bad incident can cause this type of behavior. My son used to be terribly afraid of his doctor when he was very little. He would be fine with the nurses, and sitting in the room, however, when he saw his doctor come in, with the white lab coat, he started crying. He instantly remembered the shot he had, and how much it hurt. That was it. Now, he is fine. What helped was to prep him beforehand. Talking him through what will happen helps.

In your daughter's case, that might be difficult as you cannot predict with certainty when it will rain, or getting involved in a car accident. Hypnotherapy might help her work through her fears of the accident, storms, and the feeling of panic when she hears those sounds.

I am sending you a private message, it contains a website that is helpfull for any age. It worked for me and so many other people and works on very young kids too. Good Luck... Julie