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Josiegirl 10:29 AM 06-02-2014
My little 3 yo dcg, she screams bloody murder every time any kind of bug is near her. It could be just a little black fly and heaven forbid it IS little black fly season here. She kept saying she wanted to come inside all morning.
Any suggestions? Could be a long buggy summer.
Course it doesn't help that her 6 yo brother teases her, chases her pretending to be bugs or another dcg, 7 yo, she'll pick up bugs and chase her too.
Any suggestions? Could be a long buggy summer.
Course it doesn't help that her 6 yo brother teases her, chases her pretending to be bugs or another dcg, 7 yo, she'll pick up bugs and chase her too.
SignMeUp 10:40 AM 06-02-2014
I had a family whose child was like this. Well, she wasn't while at childcare, but she was at home 
Parents gave her a spray bottle filled with water to squirt at the bugs and told her it was magic bug spray. I guess it worked for them
I have had so many bug-lovers lately. We just build them houses, capture-and-release them, study them, try to figure out what they eat or drink, look them up online, etc. Bugs are our friends
Parents gave her a spray bottle filled with water to squirt at the bugs and told her it was magic bug spray. I guess it worked for them
I have had so many bug-lovers lately. We just build them houses, capture-and-release them, study them, try to figure out what they eat or drink, look them up online, etc. Bugs are our friends
debbiedoeszip 10:48 AM 06-02-2014
Apply bug repellant (for kids) on her? It might give her peace of mind, even if there is no real need for her to have it on. If that's not an option (licensing, parents say no, etc), then the only real thing that works is exposure and desensitization (to the insects). IOW, it might end up being a long, screamy summer for you (sorry to say).
playground1 10:49 AM 06-02-2014
Originally Posted by :
We just build them houses, capture-and-release them, study them, try to figure out what they eat or drink, look them up online, etc.
Yep, I would do a project on them, read books about them etc. We had a little one with a fear of snails that eventually let one crawl on his belly. We just build them houses, capture-and-release them, study them, try to figure out what they eat or drink, look them up online, etc.
nothingwithoutjoy 10:54 AM 06-02-2014
I'm addressing this issue with my group right now, as I've got one "bug squealer" who has infected the other girls with her habit of screeching when she sees a spider. Here's the blog post I wrote for parents on the issue (with names and photos removed):
"Yesterday, the girls found a large spider on the wall. C. shrieked. Despite their bravery in the face of grubs and pill bugs, there has been a lot of shrieking happening lately when the girls spot spiders. It's a perpetual message that is passed down from girl to girl: we are scared of spiders.
Here's a story from C., typical of girl spider stories: "When I went to E's for dinner, we saw a hunormous spider. We were terrified! That's a fancy word for scared."
Sometimes we think that women and men are now equal in our society. But when messages like these continue to come up again and again (it's not just C.; it's widespread), it's clear that they are not. Why does it matter if they shriek about spiders? When they do,
--they seem weaker and more fragile than boys,
--they need to be "protected" from the world,
--their love for nature is narrowed, limiting their possibilities and their passion for protecting the earth,
--they are less likely to see spiders (or other "scary" things) as potential things for study/future work,
--they build the walls that box us in to stereotyped roles.
So when I hear those shrieks, I always step in to try to change the way they look at spiders.
Last week, when someone tried to squish a spider for the crime of being a spider, I'd pulled out Be Nice to Spiders, and we've read it (by request) again and again since. So as soon as I stepped in in this case, a few kids started saying "be nice to spiders!" I carefully caught the spider and put it in a large jar for observation. I invited the kids to come close for a better look, and we sketched the spider in our nature journals. At one point, when someone shook the jar to make the spider move, I was glad to hear L. tell them "Be gentle!"
Later, I added spider and insect books to the book basket outside on a blanket. P. told me "I found a spider book!" and C., flipping through a book of many types of insects and spiders, said "I'm trying to find a spider picture." We'll continue to explore spiders for a while, a sort of "Be nice to spiders" project (which is also an empowering girls project)."
"Yesterday, the girls found a large spider on the wall. C. shrieked. Despite their bravery in the face of grubs and pill bugs, there has been a lot of shrieking happening lately when the girls spot spiders. It's a perpetual message that is passed down from girl to girl: we are scared of spiders.
Here's a story from C., typical of girl spider stories: "When I went to E's for dinner, we saw a hunormous spider. We were terrified! That's a fancy word for scared."
Sometimes we think that women and men are now equal in our society. But when messages like these continue to come up again and again (it's not just C.; it's widespread), it's clear that they are not. Why does it matter if they shriek about spiders? When they do,
--they seem weaker and more fragile than boys,
--they need to be "protected" from the world,
--their love for nature is narrowed, limiting their possibilities and their passion for protecting the earth,
--they are less likely to see spiders (or other "scary" things) as potential things for study/future work,
--they build the walls that box us in to stereotyped roles.
So when I hear those shrieks, I always step in to try to change the way they look at spiders.
Last week, when someone tried to squish a spider for the crime of being a spider, I'd pulled out Be Nice to Spiders, and we've read it (by request) again and again since. So as soon as I stepped in in this case, a few kids started saying "be nice to spiders!" I carefully caught the spider and put it in a large jar for observation. I invited the kids to come close for a better look, and we sketched the spider in our nature journals. At one point, when someone shook the jar to make the spider move, I was glad to hear L. tell them "Be gentle!"
Later, I added spider and insect books to the book basket outside on a blanket. P. told me "I found a spider book!" and C., flipping through a book of many types of insects and spiders, said "I'm trying to find a spider picture." We'll continue to explore spiders for a while, a sort of "Be nice to spiders" project (which is also an empowering girls project)."
SignMeUp 10:59 AM 06-02-2014
I know that many years I have a group of bug-squishers and a group of bug-lovers It makes for an interesting summer
It never seems to be a gender-separating issue, to me. And I dislike putting people/children into boxes by gender. Or culture, religion, ethnicity, or most anything. To me each person is an individual so that's just how I try to approach things.
Some parents notice that we do things that way here, and others do not, and I am okay with that
It makes for an interesting summerIt never seems to be a gender-separating issue, to me. And I dislike putting people/children into boxes by gender. Or culture, religion, ethnicity, or most anything. To me each person is an individual so that's just how I try to approach things.
Some parents notice that we do things that way here, and others do not, and I am okay with that
Chellieleanne 12:31 PM 06-02-2014
Spiders are a never nope get them away from me. I cannot stand them no matter how small. Anything else I am ok with. My youngest son likes to pick up any bug he can catch and show them off
but for the most part my kids aren't interest in bugs either way. Though if I see a bee we go inside since I don't know if any of the kids are allergic and don't want to find out!
but for the most part my kids aren't interest in bugs either way. Though if I see a bee we go inside since I don't know if any of the kids are allergic and don't want to find out!
e.j. 12:36 PM 06-02-2014
Originally Posted by Josiegirl:
My little 3 yo dcg, she screams bloody murder every time any kind of bug is near her. It could be just a little black fly and heaven forbid it IS little black fly season here. She kept saying she wanted to come inside all morning.
Any suggestions? Could be a long buggy summer.
Course it doesn't help that her 6 yo brother teases her, chases her pretending to be bugs or another dcg, 7 yo, she'll pick up bugs and chase her too.
I would ask her parents how she reacts at home and how they handle it - maybe they could work with the older brother and get him to stop chasing her if his behavior is contributing to her fear. My little 3 yo dcg, she screams bloody murder every time any kind of bug is near her. It could be just a little black fly and heaven forbid it IS little black fly season here. She kept saying she wanted to come inside all morning.
Any suggestions? Could be a long buggy summer.
Course it doesn't help that her 6 yo brother teases her, chases her pretending to be bugs or another dcg, 7 yo, she'll pick up bugs and chase her too.
I would also ask or better yet, try to observe how the parents react to bugs. I had one little girl who screamed and shook any time she saw a bug of any kind. The other kids I have in my care don't do this so I knew it didn't come from them. Dcm said she couldn't figure out why she had that reaction, either. It all became very clear one day when dcd was picking up his dd. He walked out onto my porch only to run back into the house really fast. He looked like he had seen a ghost - he was pale and shaking. I asked what was going on and he pointed to a bee that was flying nearby. Mystery solved!
I explained to him that he needed to be more careful about the signals he was sending his dd when it came to bugs. She was definitely picking up on his own phobia.
MotherNature 01:07 PM 06-02-2014
nothingwithoutjoy-totally!
Josiegirl 02:59 PM 06-02-2014
I talked with dcm a little bit about it and she said Sunday, she and her dd were planting the garden, took them 4 hours and dcg screamed for 3 of them because of the bugs.
When we went outside this afternoon, dcg was so scared; kept jumping if she even thought she saw anything. Another dcg was watching a spider and bug phobic dcg screamed at me to kill it.
I don't think dcg will have anything to worry about soon; her screaming will make them all die of fright.
Funny thing is last Friday, we had a giant bumblebee trapped in one of our windows and the kids watched it for a long time; they all thought it was the coolest thing. Eventually I untrapped it. She was having as much fun as the rest of them.
When we went outside this afternoon, dcg was so scared; kept jumping if she even thought she saw anything.
Another dcg was watching a spider and bug phobic dcg screamed at me to kill it. I don't think dcg will have anything to worry about soon; her screaming will make them all die of fright.
Funny thing is last Friday, we had a giant bumblebee trapped in one of our windows and the kids watched it for a long time; they all thought it was the coolest thing. Eventually I untrapped it. She was having as much fun as the rest of them.
playground1 10:35 PM 06-02-2014
Originally Posted by nothingwithoutjoy:
I'm addressing this issue with my group right now, as I've got one "bug squealer" who has infected the other girls with her habit of screeching when she sees a spider. Here's the blog post I wrote for parents on the issue (with names and photos removed):
"Yesterday, the girls found a large spider on the wall. C. shrieked. Despite their bravery in the face of grubs and pill bugs, there has been a lot of shrieking happening lately when the girls spot spiders. It's a perpetual message that is passed down from girl to girl: we are scared of spiders.
Here's a story from C., typical of girl spider stories: "When I went to E's for dinner, we saw a hunormous spider. We were terrified! That's a fancy word for scared."
Sometimes we think that women and men are now equal in our society. But when messages like these continue to come up again and again (it's not just C.; it's widespread), it's clear that they are not. Why does it matter if they shriek about spiders? When they do,
--they seem weaker and more fragile than boys,
--they need to be "protected" from the world,
--their love for nature is narrowed, limiting their possibilities and their passion for protecting the earth,
--they are less likely to see spiders (or other "scary" things) as potential things for study/future work,
--they build the walls that box us in to stereotyped roles.
So when I hear those shrieks, I always step in to try to change the way they look at spiders.
Last week, when someone tried to squish a spider for the crime of being a spider, I'd pulled out Be Nice to Spiders, and we've read it (by request) again and again since. So as soon as I stepped in in this case, a few kids started saying "be nice to spiders!" I carefully caught the spider and put it in a large jar for observation. I invited the kids to come close for a better look, and we sketched the spider in our nature journals. At one point, when someone shook the jar to make the spider move, I was glad to hear L. tell them "Be gentle!"
Later, I added spider and insect books to the book basket outside on a blanket. P. told me "I found a spider book!" and C., flipping through a book of many types of insects and spiders, said "I'm trying to find a spider picture." We'll continue to explore spiders for a while, a sort of "Be nice to spiders" project (which is also an empowering girls project)."
I'm addressing this issue with my group right now, as I've got one "bug squealer" who has infected the other girls with her habit of screeching when she sees a spider. Here's the blog post I wrote for parents on the issue (with names and photos removed):
"Yesterday, the girls found a large spider on the wall. C. shrieked. Despite their bravery in the face of grubs and pill bugs, there has been a lot of shrieking happening lately when the girls spot spiders. It's a perpetual message that is passed down from girl to girl: we are scared of spiders.
Here's a story from C., typical of girl spider stories: "When I went to E's for dinner, we saw a hunormous spider. We were terrified! That's a fancy word for scared."
Sometimes we think that women and men are now equal in our society. But when messages like these continue to come up again and again (it's not just C.; it's widespread), it's clear that they are not. Why does it matter if they shriek about spiders? When they do,
--they seem weaker and more fragile than boys,
--they need to be "protected" from the world,
--their love for nature is narrowed, limiting their possibilities and their passion for protecting the earth,
--they are less likely to see spiders (or other "scary" things) as potential things for study/future work,
--they build the walls that box us in to stereotyped roles.
So when I hear those shrieks, I always step in to try to change the way they look at spiders.
Last week, when someone tried to squish a spider for the crime of being a spider, I'd pulled out Be Nice to Spiders, and we've read it (by request) again and again since. So as soon as I stepped in in this case, a few kids started saying "be nice to spiders!" I carefully caught the spider and put it in a large jar for observation. I invited the kids to come close for a better look, and we sketched the spider in our nature journals. At one point, when someone shook the jar to make the spider move, I was glad to hear L. tell them "Be gentle!"
Later, I added spider and insect books to the book basket outside on a blanket. P. told me "I found a spider book!" and C., flipping through a book of many types of insects and spiders, said "I'm trying to find a spider picture." We'll continue to explore spiders for a while, a sort of "Be nice to spiders" project (which is also an empowering girls project)."
Such good points!
Play Care 03:16 AM 06-03-2014
Originally Posted by SignMeUp:
I know that many years I have a group of bug-squishers and a group of bug-lovers It makes for an interesting summer
It never seems to be a gender-separating issue, to me. And I dislike putting people/children into boxes by gender. Or culture, religion, ethnicity, or most anything. To me each person is an individual so that's just how I try to approach things.
Some parents notice that we do things that way here, and others do not, and I am okay with that
I know that many years I have a group of bug-squishers and a group of bug-lovers
It makes for an interesting summerIt never seems to be a gender-separating issue, to me. And I dislike putting people/children into boxes by gender. Or culture, religion, ethnicity, or most anything. To me each person is an individual so that's just how I try to approach things.
Some parents notice that we do things that way here, and others do not, and I am okay with that
I had a child in my care that was stung badly last summer. The Fall was tough because she was, naturally, a bit freaked out by bees. I reassured her as best as I could but I also let her go inside (either with my assistant or me) when she was really freaked out. Bee stings HURT. And she had been stung repeatedly by either a yellow jacket or hornet who had flown in her pants
I don't know, but I feel that because I was nonchalant and understanding it ended any behavior. We are out for hours this Spring and she's been fine.
She even got stung a few weeks ago and hasn't wanted to stay in...
llpa 03:35 AM 06-03-2014
I posted about this not long ago. I have the same child only dcb. Still screaming daily iff he even hears the word bug! He is two and a half and is also now afraid of the shower ? At home according to dcm. His parents def do not seem like over reactors to this type of situation. I am understanding if there is really a bug bothering him and also have given him a spray bottle of water to help keep bugs
Away. It helps a little. I also captured some ladybugs in a jar to help him understand that we have windows between us and outdoors and that most bugs can't get into our rooms. He got that but outside is hopeless. He spends his entire time looking and waiting for a butterfly to go by so he can break down.
Away. It helps a little. I also captured some ladybugs in a jar to help him understand that we have windows between us and outdoors and that most bugs can't get into our rooms. He got that but outside is hopeless. He spends his entire time looking and waiting for a butterfly to go by so he can break down.