Friday, August 7, 2015

Childhood Fears

(Me and my siblings - mom was afraid to let me in the water even though I was a fish. She didn't swim. Mom's childhood nightmare? Falling in a pond!)

Let's take a look at some of the early fears we had when we were little. Some of the fears are still with us. Some can be reactivated and I will share some movies that might help you remember that fear - 

Fear of Separation

Children are dependent on parents for protection, food, and love. The thought of being separated from that is a strong childhood fear. Even mom or dad going out could cause us to scream and cry. 

"Chitty Chitty Bang! Bang!" 

The childcatcher is seriously every childhood horror in one children's musical demon!  An adult version of this movie would be "Halloween"

Fear of Witches

It started with Halloween and the concept of spells, warts, hooked noses, and more. In fact, when my son was in grade school, I made a witch's nose for the Halloween party. It was a box with a giant nose on it and the children put their hands into the nostrils into a tub of green jello to pull a toy out each nostril.

Fear of Bad Guys 

"Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" 

Fictional bad guys are every kid's horror. The bad guy could be the coyote going after the roadrunner or someone like Slugworth in "Willy Wonka." Kids are quick to pick out who the good guy is and who is the bad guy and childhood fables were based upon this distinct delineation.

Fear of Monsters










"Pan's Labyrinth"
Here's a movie for fear of monsters! This should bring back that childhood fear. You might also enjoy "Jeepers Creeper"

Fear of the Dark

Nyctophobia- Fear of darkness or night

We have it when we are usually 2-3 years old and possess an imagination at that point, but too young to understand that imagination isn't real.

Still, as adults, those who love horror movies know something else that ties back to those years of fear of the dark, that we can imagine something scary and react to it, heart beating, palms sweating, jumping and hiding. 

Technically, do we ever learn to distinguish imagination from real threat? Here's just some movies about the dark that might make you wonder....

"Darkness Falls"
This movie is full of darkness and fear of the dark. It will bring back those childhood feelings. The movies "Pitch Black" and "30 Days of Night" might also reignite that fear of the dark.

Fear of Strangers

A new face can scare a child more than any other fear. A big person bends over and puts their face near the child and the soon, the mouth opens and the wailing begins. 

"The Strangers" 
Here's a good movie to replay that childhood fear as a couple are terrorized by masked strangers while holed up in a cabin. Another good movie with this concept is the foreign movie "Them."

Fear of Storms

The sound of thunder brings terror to most kids. There is nothing worse than crashing and flashes of light and electricity going out to send them to mom and dad's bed. I remember as a kid, the loud noise scared me (as did firework displays). My dad told me it was angel's bowling and if you hear a loud crash, they just got a strike and you are supposed to clap and cheer. It changed the way I saw storms forever! 


This movie did a one-two-three punch - scary storm scene and clown doll - under the bed! 

Fear of Mall Santas

Santa, the necessary evil, to enjoy Christmas, but most kids are not comfortable with this fuzzy faced stranger pulling them onto his lap. 

"Santa's Slay"
Here's a horror movie to remind you why Santa was hiding something. 

Fear of Dentists

There is nothing more horrifying to most kids than the cold sterile room of a dentist and a stranger coming at your mouth with motorized tools and picks. Getting a vaccine seems easy in comparison.

"The Dentist"
Here's a horror movie to replay that fear again.

Fear of Clowns

I remember when my son was having his fourth birthday, I had a clown come to the ball bin at the fast food place where we were having the party. The big loud, bright clown entered the ball bin and the children dove under the balls and screamed. My son still remembers that big person in crazy color, the wild hair and loud voice. Clowns are hiding something, children are good judges that they just aren't "right."

This movie will remind you why you feared clowns. You might also appreciate "It."

Do we still have some of these fears? We might develop new ones. I got rid of fear of dark for fear of heights. But, adult logic helped dispatch most of those fears. Still, the fear of ventriloquist dolls can linger, even with me living with Dale the Doll - 

The movie that activates that fear?

"Dead Silence"

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