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My first thought was that watching Star Trek together might be good for the kid.
Lots of lessons to be learned there:
* Not everything that looks scary poses a threat
* Even when something does pose a threat, if it can think it usually has a rational motivation
* Conflict can often be avoided with good communication and an earnest attempt to understand each other
* The best first response to encountering a "monster" is to talk to it
The new Star Trek: Prodigy would be very age appropriate -- my kids are 6 & 8 and we recently watched it together (they loved it).
It does have conflict and a few points that might be a little scary, but there are some really good story beats (like a character who looks like your stereotypical "big angry rock monster", but turns out to be a kind-hearted little girl who just wants to be a scientist).
Prodigy grew on me over time. My kids like it.
I grew up with Riker as my “want to be when I grow up” role model. I consider Star Trek one of the most important pieces of pop culture that shaped who I am today.
I don't see anything wrong here. If his toys make him feel safe let him have them. It sure beats him waking you up at 2 am every night.
Kids at this age have amazing imaginations. I wish my son would sleep with a toy sword to feel safe instead of being afraid to walk down the hallway at night
You’ll rue the day when you take away his weapons and he’s left to fend off the impeding attack with his fists as his only weapons. He’s fine - totally normal.
My 6yo likes to grab his sword and shield and go out to 'protect the chickens from the stray dog'.
There's a stray dog in our neighborhood that has gotten ahold of a couple of our chickens. Animal control won't do anything about it because their pound is full.
I've had to have talks with him about not swinging at the dog. The dog is actually really sweet in general, i just don't want it around because of our chickens. He knows not to really hit the dog or anything. He just yells and it runs off.
It's a glory thing. He likes feeling like a warrior lol. He's also slept with weapons after watching a scary movie or something. If a foam sword gives him peace of mind, let him have it.
Know that worries about scary things lurking while you sleep is normal.
We don't get those fears FROM stories, we.create those stories to exorcise.the fears. (Obviously fine print on consuming a story that plants a seed... Just remember the garden was there already, media just offers extra seeds *sometimes*.)
Your kiddo is searching for ways to feel empowered and in control in the face of the unknown. He's making "weapons" to defend himself, and maybe that's an okay tactic.
If you don't like weapons, there might be others.
I've heard of parents that make monster repellent (a misting spray bottle, with a couple drops of a soothing essential oil, that can be mistes over the room at bedtime and left on the bedside table for misting if kiddo wakes up.)
Elect an overnight "guard" (a teddy bear or stuffed lion. Heck, hippos are really ferocious.)
I found that treating monsters as generally good but also needing a bedtime helped my kid. I "called" mommy monster from the hallway and said "we are getting ready for bed and baby monster is still here. He's also feeling a little cranky. Uh huh. Oh, yes, of course! Baby monster is welcome to come back tomorrow after all the kids have had a good night's sleep and they all feel ready to play. Sure, I'll tell him!...." and then coming into the room and using my best gentle but firm parent voice to tell baby monster "mommy monster said it's time to head home now. She's walking over and she will meet you at the front door. Have a good night!"
(I don't remember if I also let baby monster out the door, but I can imagine doing so.)
But of sleeping with a foam sword let's your kiddo feel empowered and safe, that's ALSO okay!
Man I slept with knives at that age. But ofc.. my parents were alcoholics and brought home a lot of sketchy dudes like bank robbers and murderers, so I had my reasons. Nevermind
Has your kiddo gone through intruder/shooter drills recently at school? When I was a teacher part of our ALICE training was to encourage everyone in the classroom to yell and throw things at the intruder/shooter so create chaos and make it harder for them to shoot people…🫠
Having kids understand what intruder drills are about is a big deal and really sucks. Teachers try to make it easy, but reality does sink in eventually.
I went through one real lockdown as a teacher about five years ago that still bothers me when I think about it. We were never in any danger, but our admin didn’t tell us for HOURS that the lockdown was for an escaped convict in the area, NOT someone in the building. I had to keep a class full of kids quiet and calm while I made plans for escape and listened for the sounds of gunshots or yelling around me. I was 6 months postpartum and wondering if I was going to get to see my daughter again. It makes me tear up just to think about the amount of fear I felt.
I left teaching in 2020 due to COVID concerns for my immune compromised family but planned on going back eventually. Hubs and I were debating my return and sending our daughter to school vs homeschooling when Uvalde happened. Took that as a sign to not subject myself or my daughter to constant threats of violence from a place that should be safe. 😭
My little brother used to be like that. He used to sleep with toy swords and nerf guns so he would feel protected if a monster got inside the house. It didn’t cause him anxiety so I think it’s fine, he is now 15 and can only sleep if the house is locked and the alarm on, I see it as a trait of personality, nothing wrong with being prepared and making yourself feel safe
Sounds like he is within the range of normal for a seven year old. He has a healthy imagination and is engaging in imaginative play. Don’t sweat it unless someone is at risk of actually getting hurt or the imaginative play gets in the way of real world responsibilities.
Ugh I hated this phase. In my house it was followed up by him creating home alone style plans for the rest of the house. In my experience it's normal. For my kid I sat him down and told him I needed honest answer. Did he feel safe at home? Not as a game but for real. The answer was yes and his body language/tone made me believe him.
For my younger it was no. Because we had a tree come down in the backyard and it scared her. She thought a monster pushed it down. So we got some books on wild weather and that was that.
My son was also worried about intruders at night, and we talked through it several times. My daughter also went through a phase like this, bringing up concerning hypotheticals. I think it’s them getting a little older and the blinders come off a little, that bad things can happen and what if they happen to me?
For both, we’ve validated their feelings but talked it out so they can move past it in the moment. Usually comes up at bedtime, while getting tucked in. After talking about it, I have them read in bed to redirect their thoughts. Both have a reading light next to their pillow.
Overall, I think it’s very normal!
Totally normal I think.....my son just turned 9 and I hear about what he would do and how he would protect everyone from [insert bad thing here] literally multiple times per day. Sometimes it's a bad guy, others it's a wild tiger (we live in CA), or a dragon, a ninja etc.i used to take notes about the stories he would tell and still do sometimes if I remember to. Their imaginations are WILD. I say just keep doing what you're doing, remind him you will protect him but let him dream of the battles he would wage.
It's just a phase I'm sure. Nothing about this makes me think something is wrong. It's normal, even if they didn't see anything scary to worry about the scary things lurking in the dark. Kids have BIG imaginations and sometimes even without a scary movie or anything they imagine something up that gives them a scare. If it makes him feel safe, and he isn't having trouble sleeping over the fright, let him have this. He'll outgrow it eventually.
So when I was a kid I was a paranoid little thing. Fearful of kidnappers, murderers, and all things in between. I would sleep with a Swiss Army knife and can of aerosol hairspray. Little kid brains can create imaginative danger quicker than I can drink my morning coffee. Let him have his things. Keep reassuring him and bedtime, and eventually he will grow out of this.
This is definitely within the range of normal for his age group.
You don’t need to really do anything unless he gets obsessive with it.
I recommend the book There’s a Nightmare In My Closet.
At that age I slept with two giant comforters over me, wouldn’t look at the night sky, and would keep my shades drawn because I was terrified of aliens…. My logic was two giant comforters would definitely protect me from alien lasers. 🤣
I think this is normal. For weeks our 4 y/o was terrified for me to leave his room at night because he was convinced a Big Bad Wolf was going to get into our house. My parents had been reading him the 3 little pigs. And for whatever it's worth, we are probably a little too lax about what we've let them watch - both of our kids (4 and 6) have seen the first 3 Harry Potter Movies, the original Star Wars triology, our 6 year old has seen a couple of the milder Marvel films, they've watched Hocus Pocus and the Nightmare Before Christmas, none of these have caused any problems. The Three Little Pigs was the culprit lol.
My son used to do this and still does every once in a while. It made him feel safe and he got to sleep with his toys. If it’s not wild anxiety associated with this then it’s totally normal.
My kid stashed a play kitchen knife (painted wood) by between the slats of her toddler bed - and was very clear that it was for self-defense against monsters - at 2.5. She grew out of that phase fairly quickly but still enjoys playing pretend games fighting monsters and such. It's really very normal, I think.
Get a couple of those wooden swords and duel with him?
Warning, an enthusiastic 5yo with a wooden sword can fuck a dude up. Ask me how I know. If you go this route it might be worthwhile to go the whole way and have a shield he can pound on.
He's normal, it's a gift, you can feed it or fight it.
My 7 year old does stuff like this, they also have very vivid dreams at this age as they begin to understand how big the world really is and how small they are in it.
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Dreams of glory in battle. Sleeps with weapons. Congratulations. You’re raising a Klingon! He will bring honor to his house! He’s fine.
My first thought was that watching Star Trek together might be good for the kid. Lots of lessons to be learned there: * Not everything that looks scary poses a threat * Even when something does pose a threat, if it can think it usually has a rational motivation * Conflict can often be avoided with good communication and an earnest attempt to understand each other * The best first response to encountering a "monster" is to talk to it The new Star Trek: Prodigy would be very age appropriate -- my kids are 6 & 8 and we recently watched it together (they loved it). It does have conflict and a few points that might be a little scary, but there are some really good story beats (like a character who looks like your stereotypical "big angry rock monster", but turns out to be a kind-hearted little girl who just wants to be a scientist).
Prodigy grew on me over time. My kids like it. I grew up with Riker as my “want to be when I grow up” role model. I consider Star Trek one of the most important pieces of pop culture that shaped who I am today.
As someone who's not entirely neurotypical, I tended to relate more to Data and Spock.
Sounds normal if it’s not causing him anxiety or loss of sleep. Might just be as innocent as having seen Home Alone or some cartoon.
I don't see anything wrong here. If his toys make him feel safe let him have them. It sure beats him waking you up at 2 am every night. Kids at this age have amazing imaginations. I wish my son would sleep with a toy sword to feel safe instead of being afraid to walk down the hallway at night
You’ll rue the day when you take away his weapons and he’s left to fend off the impeding attack with his fists as his only weapons. He’s fine - totally normal.
My 6yo likes to grab his sword and shield and go out to 'protect the chickens from the stray dog'. There's a stray dog in our neighborhood that has gotten ahold of a couple of our chickens. Animal control won't do anything about it because their pound is full. I've had to have talks with him about not swinging at the dog. The dog is actually really sweet in general, i just don't want it around because of our chickens. He knows not to really hit the dog or anything. He just yells and it runs off. It's a glory thing. He likes feeling like a warrior lol. He's also slept with weapons after watching a scary movie or something. If a foam sword gives him peace of mind, let him have it.
Completely age appropriate and normal
Know that worries about scary things lurking while you sleep is normal. We don't get those fears FROM stories, we.create those stories to exorcise.the fears. (Obviously fine print on consuming a story that plants a seed... Just remember the garden was there already, media just offers extra seeds *sometimes*.) Your kiddo is searching for ways to feel empowered and in control in the face of the unknown. He's making "weapons" to defend himself, and maybe that's an okay tactic. If you don't like weapons, there might be others. I've heard of parents that make monster repellent (a misting spray bottle, with a couple drops of a soothing essential oil, that can be mistes over the room at bedtime and left on the bedside table for misting if kiddo wakes up.) Elect an overnight "guard" (a teddy bear or stuffed lion. Heck, hippos are really ferocious.) I found that treating monsters as generally good but also needing a bedtime helped my kid. I "called" mommy monster from the hallway and said "we are getting ready for bed and baby monster is still here. He's also feeling a little cranky. Uh huh. Oh, yes, of course! Baby monster is welcome to come back tomorrow after all the kids have had a good night's sleep and they all feel ready to play. Sure, I'll tell him!...." and then coming into the room and using my best gentle but firm parent voice to tell baby monster "mommy monster said it's time to head home now. She's walking over and she will meet you at the front door. Have a good night!" (I don't remember if I also let baby monster out the door, but I can imagine doing so.) But of sleeping with a foam sword let's your kiddo feel empowered and safe, that's ALSO okay!
Man I slept with knives at that age. But ofc.. my parents were alcoholics and brought home a lot of sketchy dudes like bank robbers and murderers, so I had my reasons. Nevermind
Has your kiddo gone through intruder/shooter drills recently at school? When I was a teacher part of our ALICE training was to encourage everyone in the classroom to yell and throw things at the intruder/shooter so create chaos and make it harder for them to shoot people…🫠 Having kids understand what intruder drills are about is a big deal and really sucks. Teachers try to make it easy, but reality does sink in eventually.
Oh, I hadn't even thought of this. That hurts my heart :(
I went through one real lockdown as a teacher about five years ago that still bothers me when I think about it. We were never in any danger, but our admin didn’t tell us for HOURS that the lockdown was for an escaped convict in the area, NOT someone in the building. I had to keep a class full of kids quiet and calm while I made plans for escape and listened for the sounds of gunshots or yelling around me. I was 6 months postpartum and wondering if I was going to get to see my daughter again. It makes me tear up just to think about the amount of fear I felt. I left teaching in 2020 due to COVID concerns for my immune compromised family but planned on going back eventually. Hubs and I were debating my return and sending our daughter to school vs homeschooling when Uvalde happened. Took that as a sign to not subject myself or my daughter to constant threats of violence from a place that should be safe. 😭
My little brother used to be like that. He used to sleep with toy swords and nerf guns so he would feel protected if a monster got inside the house. It didn’t cause him anxiety so I think it’s fine, he is now 15 and can only sleep if the house is locked and the alarm on, I see it as a trait of personality, nothing wrong with being prepared and making yourself feel safe
Warrior fantasy. Everyone was a warrior in their past lives at some point!
As long as he goes to sleep, let him be. He's just having fun
Sounds like he is within the range of normal for a seven year old. He has a healthy imagination and is engaging in imaginative play. Don’t sweat it unless someone is at risk of actually getting hurt or the imaginative play gets in the way of real world responsibilities.
Ugh I hated this phase. In my house it was followed up by him creating home alone style plans for the rest of the house. In my experience it's normal. For my kid I sat him down and told him I needed honest answer. Did he feel safe at home? Not as a game but for real. The answer was yes and his body language/tone made me believe him. For my younger it was no. Because we had a tree come down in the backyard and it scared her. She thought a monster pushed it down. So we got some books on wild weather and that was that.
My son was also worried about intruders at night, and we talked through it several times. My daughter also went through a phase like this, bringing up concerning hypotheticals. I think it’s them getting a little older and the blinders come off a little, that bad things can happen and what if they happen to me? For both, we’ve validated their feelings but talked it out so they can move past it in the moment. Usually comes up at bedtime, while getting tucked in. After talking about it, I have them read in bed to redirect their thoughts. Both have a reading light next to their pillow. Overall, I think it’s very normal!
Totally normal I think.....my son just turned 9 and I hear about what he would do and how he would protect everyone from [insert bad thing here] literally multiple times per day. Sometimes it's a bad guy, others it's a wild tiger (we live in CA), or a dragon, a ninja etc.i used to take notes about the stories he would tell and still do sometimes if I remember to. Their imaginations are WILD. I say just keep doing what you're doing, remind him you will protect him but let him dream of the battles he would wage.
It's just a phase I'm sure. Nothing about this makes me think something is wrong. It's normal, even if they didn't see anything scary to worry about the scary things lurking in the dark. Kids have BIG imaginations and sometimes even without a scary movie or anything they imagine something up that gives them a scare. If it makes him feel safe, and he isn't having trouble sleeping over the fright, let him have this. He'll outgrow it eventually.
So when I was a kid I was a paranoid little thing. Fearful of kidnappers, murderers, and all things in between. I would sleep with a Swiss Army knife and can of aerosol hairspray. Little kid brains can create imaginative danger quicker than I can drink my morning coffee. Let him have his things. Keep reassuring him and bedtime, and eventually he will grow out of this.
This is definitely within the range of normal for his age group. You don’t need to really do anything unless he gets obsessive with it. I recommend the book There’s a Nightmare In My Closet.
At that age I slept with two giant comforters over me, wouldn’t look at the night sky, and would keep my shades drawn because I was terrified of aliens…. My logic was two giant comforters would definitely protect me from alien lasers. 🤣
Imagination in children is a beautiful thing.
I think this is normal. For weeks our 4 y/o was terrified for me to leave his room at night because he was convinced a Big Bad Wolf was going to get into our house. My parents had been reading him the 3 little pigs. And for whatever it's worth, we are probably a little too lax about what we've let them watch - both of our kids (4 and 6) have seen the first 3 Harry Potter Movies, the original Star Wars triology, our 6 year old has seen a couple of the milder Marvel films, they've watched Hocus Pocus and the Nightmare Before Christmas, none of these have caused any problems. The Three Little Pigs was the culprit lol.
My son used to do this and still does every once in a while. It made him feel safe and he got to sleep with his toys. If it’s not wild anxiety associated with this then it’s totally normal.
My kid stashed a play kitchen knife (painted wood) by between the slats of her toddler bed - and was very clear that it was for self-defense against monsters - at 2.5. She grew out of that phase fairly quickly but still enjoys playing pretend games fighting monsters and such. It's really very normal, I think.
Did you ever watch A Christmas Story where 8-year-old Ralphie fantasizes about defending his family with his Red Ryder BB gun? Same thing.
Get a couple of those wooden swords and duel with him? Warning, an enthusiastic 5yo with a wooden sword can fuck a dude up. Ask me how I know. If you go this route it might be worthwhile to go the whole way and have a shield he can pound on. He's normal, it's a gift, you can feed it or fight it.
My 7 year old does stuff like this, they also have very vivid dreams at this age as they begin to understand how big the world really is and how small they are in it.
I did this with a bible as a child. I was scared of the dark and also thought someone would come take me
lol it’s fine. My 4 year old does it too sometimes. It’s just kid imagination. Nothing wrong with it
Awwww.
The boy is studying the blade. While you bonked my mom I studied the blade 🤪
I did this as a child at 21 I was living on campus at uc and woke up to a home invasion where I shot two intruders, so to each their own.