Daughters nightmare - she's only 4, can't explain it

Our daughter had a nightmare the other night, she was quite scared and we had to try convince her it wasn't real. She said:

"A scary man was cutting people with knifes and he was chasing me"

I'm like 'wtf'. She doesn't watch anything gory - in bed by 7:30pm. Really perplexed by this one... any ideas?

Thx

Does your daughter go to a daycare, babysitter, preschool or headstart program?

My first nightmare, I was 5. In fact, that was my last nightmare too!

Never be afraid to ask your child questions; but, make sure you do not 'plant' any negative ideas in those questions.

reply to post by Im a Marty


Do you ever watch the news? It's quite possible that your daughter saw/heard something on the news and then it came back while she was sleeping.

Funny thing dreams, if you're gunna start reading up on dreams avoid freud, bored me to tears!!

Hope tomorrow she gets a good nights sleep.

MonKey

Thanks for the replies! She doesn't go to daycare or anything like that, however I did ask her about it and it makes sense, I asked her to describe it.

She said the scary man was like the guy from a kids cooking program - he uses a knife to cut things with. But the nightmarish part about it - ie attacking her and cutting people, quite strange!

reply to post by Im a Marty


It's not Gordon Ramsey is it?

Because that would scare the insides outta me too!!

MonKey

Originally posted by Im a Marty
...I did ask her about it and it makes sense, I asked her to describe it.

She said the scary man was like the guy from a kids cooking program - he uses a knife to cut things with. But the nightmarish part about it - ie attacking her and cutting people, quite strange!

That's great! It gives us a good idea where to go next. I 'suspect' the cooking program gave proper warnings about using a knife ... parent's permission, how to cut away from yourself perhaps, how to hold it firmly and probably mentioned to be "careful or you might cut yourself".

Dreams operate on many levels simultaneously. It's like a computer processor, multi-tasking in the background. If it were possible for two people to have an identical dream ... it would actually have different meaning and purpose to each of them. An answer appropriate for one person, may be inappropriate for another.

Now, if I was in your shoes ... this is what I would do next. It sounds like your daughter is VERY 'sensitive' - the type that would be scared easily by a negative environment such as people yelling. So, tone it 'down' and not 'up' when giving her 'warnings'.

1. Teach her the proper way to walk with scissors. Mention to always walk not run with any pointed object. Give her some paper, bright colored construction paper perhaps. Give her a pair of her very own plastic scissors (left or right handed as she presents naturally). Next, teach her how to make paper dolls. This turns it into something positive.

On another day:

2. Go over her television cooking lesson about knives. What recipe did they make? Give her a sturdy plastic knife to use and make the recipe they were cooking. OR better yet, let her choose a recipe of her favorite foods. Eat the food with her as soon as it is done to end the lesson on a positive note.

On another day:

3. Teach table-setting and utensil placements. Then, have a tea party with her ... letting her cut the coffeecake. Again, we end in a positive here.

I hope that helps! Good luck with your little angel there!



[edit on 29-1-2008 by Trexter Ziam]