stage fear in a four yr old....................

The pain YOU take to dress up? What about your child's pain? Why are you pushing her into something which you want and she doesn't?

Give her opportunity, but if she is not ready, dont push her. Give her opportunity again after a while. Let the child pick her own interesting. Or else she will become repulsive and go in the negative direction and never try anything new.

There is no one who didnot overcome something, when they wanted to, for themselves. Having stage freight is not an impediment. Dont fret over it.

Give her things which she likes and she will be ready to try a bit of what she doesn't like as well.

 

She is 4. Cut her some slack.

Meanwhile, perhaps its better you ask her why she is afraid of the stage. Ask her specific questions like below:

1. Are you afraid of the crowd?
2. Are you uncomfortable in the costume?
3. Are you afraid you will forget the lines etc.

Once you know what is causing the fright, you may better understand her fears.

 

I would avoid putting her in those kind of situations as she is not comfortable. A dress competition also focus much on the outlook and I would like to give that kind of attitudes to my children.

 

Succhi, you will have to keep trying to find out whats causing the fear. My DD who was never afraid of going to sleep on her own suddenly started crying at bed times (and will be 3 soon). I had to keep asking her in different ways until I found out she just wanted more light in the room (bed light was not enough).

If you ask her directly what she is afraid of, she maynot say it. You have to specifically go through various scenarios until she nods her head and say thats what is causing the fear.

But one thing for sure, its better to give stage appearances a break until you figure this out. She is only going to get more stressed out if she keeps going at it. Also, if she herself asks, go for it but dont fret if she refuses to go on stage after everything. She will eventually get there. Or maybe she nevere will and thats seriously no big deal. Imagine if the whole worlds population is good on stage?!

 

May be she is not used to being in front of huge crowd. Why don't you put her in extra curriculum activities where she is able to interact with more people. But do not force her to go to the stage then she will get an aversion.

 

She sounds like me. Atleast the person I was as a child. Very very outgoing, until it came to stages. I was totally "outgoing" there. I would prepare my lines for various fancy dress contests, and then literally run across the stage so sometimes people did not even know I was there.

I grew older, but still was very nervous to be the center of attention. It was one day when I was in college, and was asked to talk (with 10 minutes notice) that I overcame my fear. I realized I knew what I needed to say, had good language and diction, so why worry.

Give your child some time. She will overcome it too.