Show your child how you cope

Masking a fear does not mean one should pretend you're not afraid of anything. Researchers state that pretending that you never get scared shows a child that it is 'weird' to be fearful of something.

It may be more useful for parents to share how they cope with their own fears. For example, tell your child that you get scared of flying but that you've learned to take deep breaths and remind yourself that aeroplane crashes are very rare.