Four-year-old Dana, who a moment ago was skipping happily along the sidewalk, has come to a sudden stop. Standing rigid and staring fixedly ahead, the child begins to whimper.
Walking by her side, Dana's mother, Dianne, follows her daughter's frightened gaze. Coming toward mother and child is a neighbor and his dog.
Acting quickly, Dianne takes her daughter's hand. "I can see that you are frightened," she says quietly to Dana. "That's OK. Some dogs can be mean so it's good to be cautious. But that's Mr. Stokes up ahead with Lad. I know Lad. He's a good old friendly dog. Would you like to say Hi to him? Or would you feel better if we crossed the road this time?"
When Dana first began to exhibit a morbid fear of dogs, Dianne was concerned. She could think of no incident that should have made her otherwise well adjusted child so fearful. Moreover, given that she herself liked dogs, as did Dana's father, her daughter's anxiety seemed all the more unusual.
It isn't. As Dianne discovered after a trip to the local library, childhood fears and anxieties are common. Infants and young children often express great concern that their parents will leave them. Meanwhile, toddlers can be terribly afraid of the dark or thunder and other loud noises.
The concerns of four and five year-olds range from death to dogs. Fears also plague a significant number of older children and teenagers, the list of terrors ranging from public speaking and failure to dentists and spiders.
In certain cases, for instance if a child talks about his fear continuously or if the fear prevents him from eating or sleeping or attending school, a parent would be wise to seek outside help.
However, in the vast majority of cases, an understanding parent can help a child overcome anxiety. As Dianne has learned, validating a child's feelings and allowing a youngster the opportunity to talk through her fears an effective means of combating childhood anxiety. Patience helps too. If Dana follows the pattern of the majority of children, she will simply outgrow her fear of the neighborhood pooch.

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