My 3 yo is freaked out by bugs. We can't even really go outside. I walked to pick her up from preschool today and the 2 mile walk home was a nightmare because she whined or shreked the entire time about the bugs (including butterflies).

Neither her father nor I are bothered by them. We are both outdoorsy people.

It's a normal phase, right? Please say so because I feel like we cannot go outside anymore.

It sure is! And they get over it as quick as it comes on. Elizabeth would shreik and scream at the sight of any bug for about 2 months...now she's more accepting though I wouldn't say she was ever a huge bug lover :) But shes better about it now.

see them better since they are interesting that way?

My kid was grossed by them til I did this and now he takes his magnifying glass to observe everything under the sun!

My girls never went through this. I had the opposite problem, getting them to leave them outside. :rolleyes: It might be normal but I have found that most kids who react that way saw it somewhere. What about the teacher or classmates?

I agree with Freedomlover, help her see them as interesting creatures. The dollar store has kits for catching bug with mag glass, observation "tank", net, etc.

Danielle went through this 6 or 8 months ago. She is much better about it now, we read books about bugs, talked about bugs, sang about bugs, LOL! Didn't get a magnifying glass, but that's a great idea. She would have chucked it at the bug and run. She is still freaked out my spiders, but not nearly as bad. We have a plastic spider that is a cat toy, and she points at it and shreks as a joke (not particularly funny to anyone but her).

see them better since they are interesting that way?

My kid was grossed by them til I did this and now he takes his magnifying glass to observe everything under the sun!

We've actually done this on several occassions. She's fine looking at them in the bug house through a magnifying glass, but otherwise, she's flipped out.

It might be normal but I have found that most kids who react that way saw it somewhere. What about the teacher or classmates?

That's what I think too. But, she NEVER saw it from either of us. I'm thinking another kid at her school probably because I don't think that her teachers would be flipped out by them either.

have you introduced them as "friends". This is what my DD does. She tells me all about "aunty the ant" and her family, "Spiderella and spiderific" that live in the spider web in the bathroom, "cricky the cricket" etc. Of course then there are the "stinging bugs" that she shreaks over but that's because she got 3 really bad stings from a wasp this summer, so I don't blame her being a little freaked out still. Oh and she's not a fan of the milipeads, but they kind of give me the willies too. *shiver*

Chole

At least you can get your child outside! Veronica isn't really freaked by bugs but she hates wind and sun.

"Mama, it's too windy. Make it stop!"

"Mama, it's too hot. Turn the sun off!"

:rolleyes:

have you introduced them as "friends". This is what my DD does. She tells me all about "aunty the ant" and her family, "Spiderella and spiderific" that live in the spider web in the bathroom, "cricky the cricket" etc. Of course then there are the "stinging bugs" that she shreaks over but that's because she got 3 really bad stings from a wasp this summer, so I don't blame her being a little freaked out still. Oh and she's not a fan of the milipeads, but they kind of give me the willies too. *shiver*

Chole


Oh, good idea! I think we are going to work on that, starting with butterflies (since it's mostly flying bugs that bug - hee hee - her).

At least you can get your child outside! Veronica isn't really freaked by bugs but she hates wind and sun.

"Mama, it's too windy. Make it stop!"

"Mama, it's too hot. Turn the sun off!"

:rolleyes:

turn the sun off!

ha :lol: as if

Okay, I'm glad she only dislikes bugs.