Children can be afraid of many different things, and certain fears are physiological for the respective developmental phases of a young person. One of the most well-known childhood fears is separation anxiety, i.e. the fear of being separated from a parent or being left without a caregiver - this is typical for the youngest children and physiologically should subside by around the age of three.

Various factors can cause a child's anxiety and other common childhood anxieties include:

• fear of the dark,

• fear of monsters,

• Fear of atmospheric phenomena (e.g. storms),

• fear of animals,

• fear of illness (concerning the possibility of both the child and his parents falling ill).

Fear of Father Christmas: does it exist?, photo: panthermedia

While the most common types of anxiety in children are listed above, it is characteristic of this type of problem that children may fear something completely unusual, even something that... should theoretically make them happy.

Child running away from Santa Claus? Run away... with him

The opportunity to pose for a photo with Father Christmas or to hand him a card with a list of expected presents is one of the standard Christmas attractions offered in December in various locations. Some children take advantage of these opportunities very willingly, but there are also those who refuse or even run away at the mere sight of the star.

Reluctance to sit on Santa's lap or even to approach him may be a sign of separation anxiety as well as a fear of strangers. Parents may not know how to behave in a situation where the child - instead of being happy to see the star - starts to run away or scream. It is important to remain calm and, above all, to talk to your child.

What to do when your child is afraid of Santa Claus, photo: panthermedia

If your child does not want to talk to or sit on the Santa's lap, you should not force him to do so. After all, he or she is a complete stranger to him or her, with whom the child may not want to interact for some reason. After all, every child is different, and even if most children are happy to meet Santa, some may simply feel apprehensive about Santa .