talk about. It is a common theme in children's dreams, and one that deserves attention when it comes up. Jane and her mother made a list of all the neighbors Jane could go to for help if her parents weren't home. This list helped the child handle her anxiety about being left alone, without her fear taking over.
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Distinguish Fantasy from Reality
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For children, the line between imagination and reality is naturally blurred. Dream characters, including animals, seem more real to them. Patricia Garfield reports that children have many more animal characters in their dreams than adults do, and that the action in animal dreams is more likely to be violent. You can use your children's dreams and dream characters to help them understand the difference between the reality of their fears and the fantasy of their dream events. Children's fantasy life is an important part of their creative development, so take it seriously and listen carefully when it is expressed in their dreams. Once you and your child have distinguished fantasy from reality, the events in your children's dreams can be used to find clues about what can be done to alleviate their fears or imaginary concerns in waking life, as Jane and her mother did.
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Jessie wakes up crying. She struggles to get out of bed, calling for her mommy. She kicks the covers off, knocking her stuffed animals helter-skelter. Last to hit the floor is the giant stuffed gorilla she received as a present last week for her fourth birthday. Jessie is sobbing uncontrollably when her mother, Pauline, enters the room. "Are you all right, sweetheart?" she asks.
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"Mommy, Mommy! He was chasing me!"
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