Afraid of fireworks

Many children find fireworks scary because of the loud bangs. And not just children, there are also adults who are afraid of fireworks or hate them. For both children and adults, this fear can thoroughly ruin the New Year’s Eve holidays. But for those who want to get rid of this, there is a way out and children can also be helped very well by their parents.

Contents

• Children & Adults
• Don’t stop
• How does fear manifest itself?
• Be brave
• How can you overcome this fear?
• Approach to children

 

Children & Adults

Fear of fireworks mainly occurs in children. They hear loud bangs and sometimes do not yet understand what causes them. They have no control over it and think the explosions are dangerous. If they are startled by a loud bang, this can be the beginning of fear or it can increase fear.

This fear can persist when a child grows older and does not learn to deal with the fear. For an adult, this fear is very annoying. People are often ashamed of it. Other people like fireworks and enjoy setting them off. An adult often hides fear for this reason. It seems so childish to be afraid of fireworks.

Don’t stop

For anyone who is afraid of fireworks, it is good to know that there are many more people who suffer from this. There is absolutely no reason for shame. Every person has a fear. It is good to come out with this so that something can be done about it. As long as someone doesn’t say anything about the fear, nothing can be done about it. When other people make fun of the problem, they are the ones being childish. They are not without fears themselves, but they are in a different area.

How does fear manifest itself?

There are varying degrees of fear of fireworks, ranging from finding fireworks annoying to a phobia. Symptoms may include:

• Stomach ache
• Vomit
• Nervous behavior
• Creep away
• Hands over ears
• Cramp

In severe form, a person may start to shake, feel cold or hyperventilate. Then the fear has become a phobia. This sounds serious, but in this case it is a simple phobia that can be treated very well with the help of a psychologist.

Be brave

When other people find fear of fireworks nonsensical, they can react very bluntly. Many people think it’s nonsense. And you’re lucky if they say: Just bite the bullet and watch those fireworks. Then it will pass by itself.

That is easier said than done, of course, because fear actually stops people from watching the fireworks. Everything in the anxious person calls out not to do that and it drives him or her to want to get away from the scary fireworks. Preferably in an environment where there is no noise. Fear of something can stand in front of you like a mountain and hinder you from doing anything. Fear paralyzes.

Although just pushing through is short-sighted, people who say this do have a point. The fear will have to be faced at some point if it is to be overcome . And that takes courage and bravery. Being brave doesn’t mean we can stop being afraid. It means that despite our fear, we still do what we find scary. However, it is not that simple to just be brave, step outside and pretend the fear is not there or just hope that the fear will go away. It is wiser to take smaller, well-considered steps and thus overcome a small part each time. These small steps also require courage to take them.

How can you overcome this fear?

1. Do you want to overcome fear? : This is the first question you should ask yourself before doing anything else. Do you really want to get rid of it? Because if you want that, the consequence is that you will have to face the fear. You can no longer ignore it and must confront it. You can also choose to leave it at that and avoid fireworks as much as possible. Then you don’t have to overcome fear. However, it will always be with you and can be annoying. It’s just what you want.
2. No more avoiding: when you have decided that you want to overcome the fear, the first step is to stop hiding from the bangs. Don’t put in earplugs anymore, don’t turn on loud music. Do something relaxing like watch a movie, but don’t hide any longer.
3. Don’t let your feelings dominate: With your mind you will know that fireworks are not as scary as your fear tells you. The problem is that the feeling of fear dominates. This fear may be there. Because let’s be honest: fireworks are not completely harmless. However, it is also good to be realistic about the dangers. As long as you don’t light anything yourself and stay out of the way, nothing can happen. You can safely watch the fireworks from behind your window. If you want to overcome your fear, now is the time to be honest about it: A) I’m afraid of… B) It’s because I’m afraid of…. will happen C) That hasn’t happened (for a long time). D) The fear is therefore not realistic. I scare myself about something that doesn’t happen. In this way you will unlearn the association with fear. Don’t rely on your feelings anymore, but think logically. This is not always easy and it will probably happen to you at some point that your feeling of fear dominates your mind. However, remain persistent in this and no longer accept unreal feelings.
4. Don’t think too much: Once you have decided that you want to overcome your fear of fireworks, you will think many times whether this is a good choice. You try to overcome fear. All kinds of thoughts will go through your mind to stop you from doing this. Don’t go into this, don’t think too much and take steps. These steps will strengthen your confidence.
5. Tenacity : It is important that your resolve to overcome the fear is firm. You will have moments when you wonder why you started this. Those are the moments when your fear dominates. It is very important that you remind yourself of your decision and do not deviate from it.
6. Make time: Take the time and set aside quiet moments to battle the fear. This is not something that can be done overnight. It costs you a lot of energy. If you actually don’t have much time, it only complicates matters further. Therefore, make sure you have all the time.
7. Confrontation: At some point you will have to confront yourself. List exactly what you are having difficulty with. Start with the thing that bothers you the least and tackle it. Make it easy for yourself first. First watch a video on the internet about fireworks. Get used to the sound first without going anywhere near fireworks. When you no longer have difficulty with this, you can expand the steps. For example, go outside with a trusted person who will support you with your problem. Perhaps in time this person can light a little sparkler with you.
8. Trust: Every time you face a confrontation and find that nothing happens, it strengthens your trust. The mountain of fear that stood before you gives way to peace. You begin to see that the great fear is not necessary. This is how you build your trust.
9. Seek help: If all this is very difficult for you, seek help from a trusted person or a psychologist. You can use some support in a difficult period. Another person can encourage you when you are feeling down. That helps you to keep going.
10. You don’t have to like fireworks: Most people find fireworks and their explosions beautiful and like to set off fireworks. You don’t have to find this. Not even after you have overcome your fear. Don’t be fooled by others and follow your own path. You can safely say that you don’t like fireworks and that you want to keep your distance. If others have trouble with that, that’s their problem, not yours. No one is obliged to like fireworks!

 

Approach to children

It is a little more complicated for children than for adults. When children find something scary, they absolutely do not want to do it. They don’t want to look at fireworks and they don’t want to hear them. You can’t force them to overcome a fear, but you can certainly help them. In a sense, the above steps also apply to children, but the steps are much smaller.

Some tips you can use:

1. Don’t make a big deal out of it: When you convey that nothing is wrong at all and that banging doesn’t affect you, this reassures the child. Children adopt behavior from parents. If you are afraid yourself, it is important not to show this to your child. Do not comfort your child excessively or hold him or her too close to you. Show understanding, but don’t give in to fear. Trade as you normally would when there are no fireworks.
2. Preparation: Prepare your child for the New Year’s Eve period. Watch videos about fireworks. Listen to a CD with fireworks sounds. Make a beautiful drawing or craft with colorful fireworks. Think of things to make it fun, emphasize how beautiful it is to see and make it fun and relaxing. Also tell us what will happen on New Year’s Eve.
3. It’s okay to be afraid: tell your child that it’s not that bad to be afraid. Everyone is afraid sometimes. Be relaxed about this.
4. Distract: Do fun things with the child such as watching a movie, playing games, turning on music, etc. This is distracting. Don’t do this excessively. It is good if the child hears some fireworks, so that he or she can get used to it in a relaxed atmosphere.
5. Be brave: Look for opportunities where your child has to overcome something, even if it is very small. If your child has difficulty with a video, leave it on until it becomes normal. If your child doesn’t find fireworks scary with the curtains closed, open the curtains slightly. Talk openly about it with the child. This way the child learns that fireworks are not as scary as he thinks and that he can also be tough and still do something scary. Praise your child when he or she overcomes something. In this way, the child will learn for later that scary things can be overcome.
6. Avoiding fireworks: When anxiety becomes extreme, you can go somewhere where fireworks are less noticeable. You can put cotton balls in the child’s ears. In such a situation, try to look for something your child can overcome. Even if it is just that someone from the family turns on a sparkler outside, 20 meters away, for your child to look at from behind the window.
7. Help your child further: It does not benefit either the child or you to accept the fear. Do everything you can to help your child, but do so wisely. Every small mini-step is a step in the right direction. It doesn’t have to be solved all at once, as long as you are there for your child and help him or her calmly. Your child will certainly benefit from this in the future.

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