When a child is scared of dogs, strangers or grandma’s creepy basement, it’s natural for a parent to shield him or her from the object of that fear.
But that instinct is misguided, according to new findings from the Mayo Clinic. In a study published this month in the journal Behaviour Therapy, researchers confirmed that children who avoid scary situations are more likely to have an anxiety disorder later in life.
I – Word Understanding
Scared – fearful; frightened
Strangers – a person whom one does not know or with whom one is not familiar
Creepy – scary
Shield – protect (someone or something) from a danger, risk, or unpleasant experience
Instinct – a natural or intuitive way of acting or thinking
Misguided – having or showing faulty judgment or reasoning
Behaviour Therapy – is a collection of psychological techniques for modifying maladaptive behaviors
Anxiety disorder – mental problems
II – Have your say
1.Overprotective parents send the message that their children can’t handle life’s challenges on their own. This can lead to a lack of self-confidence in these children. They may feel that if their parents don’t trust them with the freedom to make mistakes and tackle problems on their own.
2.Some effects of over protecting are low self-esteem, eating disorder, panic disorders, etc.
007 Avoiding fears makes kids more anxious later in life, study finds
