“Only children believe they’re capable of everything.” – Paulo Coelho
One of my earliest memories involved a television that turned into a ferocious lion ready to attack. At about five years old, the nightmare was scary and stuck with me. It can be confusing for a small child to distinguish dreams from reality. They don’t yet have that conscious/subconscious barrier of protection we develop as adults. That’s why children are susceptible to hypnosis. They are in a perpetual state of hypnosis. This is something that all parents of young children should be aware of.
In one of my earliest hypnosis classes I learned of an interesting and useful technique to influence a child’s behavior. It’s pretty easy and fun to try. Once a child goes to bed and they’re just on the edge of deep sleep, crawl into their room. It’s important to stay low so as not to disturb them. Whisper helpful positive suggestions like, “You will love your little brother and want to be kind to him.” or “You have complete confidence in yourself.” Go back out the same way you came in and they will be none the wiser.
Another method would be to incorporate these suggestions into their bedtime stories when they are starting to doze off. You can also throw in suggestions when they are distracted with watching cartoons or playing a video game. Even if they figure it out, their subconscious will still receive the message and act accordingly. Children are little miracles from God, aren’t they?
Remember that children are always very suggestible. Anything you say around them can have a positive or a negative effect. Words spoken in haste, without forethought, could influence the rest of their lives. Always have positive thoughts to share with your child.
So, when your child tells you that a lion jumped out of their television, they aren’t necessarily telling tall tales. To them these dreams are extremely real and sometimes frightening. Love, understanding and belief can go a long way when dealing with children’s nightmares or daydreams.
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