How to remove fear from the minds of children?

Fear

           Man runs away from a dangerous situation due to fear. It is quite natural for someone to get scared from fire and goons, but fear from imaginary things, darkness, cockroaches, etc. is inappropriate. We must find out remedies to remove fear from the mind. How to remove fear from the mind?

1. If a child is scared to go to the toilet due to fear of darkness, then the light must be kept switched on.

2. On many occasions it is noticed that mother of a child gets very scared when she sees a flying cockroach in the room. No wonder, the children of such mother get frightened when they see a cockroach anywhere. Therefore, a mother should be bold and fearless when the children are around.

3. If the fear is due to any dangerous situation,  then we should try to avoid such a situation. For example, if any thug is causing you trouble on the way to school, then better change the route while going to school.

4. If we cannot change a situation, say for example, a person is suffering from cancer, then he should engage himself in the study of philosophy. Once the patient suffering from cancer accepts that the disease he is suffering from  is a result of his sins committed in his past births, then in order to free himself from such sins, he will accept cancer happily.

5. We must impress upon our mind that, ‘body being perishable, none can escape death and soul being immortal, there is no reason to be afraid of death’.

         People who are weak mentally and physically are cowards. The saying ‘भित्यापाठी ब्रह्मराक्षस’ is well known. Our brave revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Swatantryaveer Sawarkar, and many others, faced the oppressions of the British boldly and without the fear of death. Today, we are enjoying the fruits of their sacrifice.

        Upanishads say that, ‘whenever we come into contact with another person, we always have a fear in our mind that the person might cheat us. Hence our sages have said that, once we see everyone alike, that is, when a person reaches a stage of not feeling any difference between ‘I and you’, then there is no trace of fear.

Dr. Vasant Balaji Athavale, Paediatrician (Child Specialist) (1990)