Have you ever taken your child to the park and he didn’t want to step on the grass when he was barefoot at all? Even when Mom stepped on the grass, she also showed a frightened expression.
Don’t worry Mom, your kids aren’t the only ones afraid of grass. In 2017, there was a video circulating of an 11-month-old girl named Kai lifting her legs up high into a V shape when she was about to be lowered by her father onto the grass.
A similar video compilation circulated on Youtube in 2020. In the video, several children can be seen showing their refusal to touch the grass.
Some time ago, dr. Andreas, Sp.A. also uploaded a video compilation of children afraid of grass on his personal Instagram @dr.andreas.spa. In the video, there are also those who get goosebumps when sitting on the grass, you know, even though their skin doesn’t touch the grass at all.
It turns out, there are many children who experience the same thing, Ma? However, is a child’s fear of grass a natural thing?
Why are children afraid of grass? What if this condition is left unchecked? How to overcome a child’s fear of grass?
To find out the answer, let’s look at the information about “Is it normal for children to be afraid of grass and how to overcome it?” which Thevolume.net has summarized below, Mom.
Why are children afraid of grass?
According to dr. Andreas in his upload, the condition of children being afraid of grass is a hypersensitivity or excessive reaction. Hypersensitivity itself is a sensory stimulation disorder in the form of tactile stimuli.
The child processes grass as a stimulus or excessive stimulation. As a result, the child refuses to touch the grass.
Reporting from the fatherly.com page, during the few months of his life, a child’s nervous system begins to develop rapidly. Sounds, sensations, and sights became intense and thunderous to him.
Under these circumstances, just imagine Mom, the texture of grass is very different from the carpets, tiles, and wooden surfaces that your child has been stepping on at home. Grass has a thorny texture, unlike carpets, which are soft and wood and tile are flat.
So, it’s natural for kids to feel overwhelmed by the “weird” textured grass, Mom. Perhaps to him, the grass felt as sharp as a knife, tickling, rough, and wet. Too many new sensations that he felt.
However, it’s not all children who have a fear of grass, Mom. There are children who are comfortable playing on the grass. The reason is that each child processes sensory experiences in a different way.
In addition, according to research, infants are generally skeptical of plants. He has a natural awareness of plants to prevent himself from being poisoned. After all, many plants produce poison for self-defense, right?
“These results extend to a growing body of literature showing that infants are sensitive to certain repeated hazards from the ancestor,” conclude the study authors.
What can happen to a child if his fear of grass is left alone?
Seeing the reasons for children’s fear of grass that have been described above, it can be concluded that this condition is normal. However, natural doesn’t mean the condition will go away by itself, Mom.
Don’t let the condition drag on. According to dr. Andreas, this sensory problem can interfere with many children’s activities. One of them is eating activity.
Eating activities mostly use the sensory system and require good coordination. Many healthy foods are also more textured.
If the child’s sensory problems continue to be left and affect their eating activities, it can be serious, right? In fact, every day his body needs adequate nutrition.
How to overcome children’s fear of grass?
So, what to do if your child is afraid of grass? Mom can do some of the things below to overcome her fear of grass.
1. Validate her fear
Fear of grass seems very funny and strange to us, doesn’t it? But, be careful. When your child is afraid of grass, don’t laugh or even tease him, Mom.
Reporting from the verywellfamily.com page, reactions like that can make her fear even worse, you know. Try to understand and validate her fear, Mom.
However, don’t let Mom also sugarcoat to calm her down, okay? Instead of saying “You’ll be fine” or “Grass isn’t scary,” say, “Mom knows this grass feels weird. It must be difficult for you, huh, son?”
Showing that Mom feels how she feels will be more helpful in calming her down, Mom.
2. Don’t dodge the grass
When children are afraid of something, sometimes parents will also avoid the object or situation so that their child feels safe. For example, if a child is afraid of grass, the parents will refuse to approach the grass for the sake of the child.
This method is indeed easier to do to calm the child, Mom. However, if Mom does, the child’s fear of grass will continue to grow and become a big problem for him later. Of course, Mom would not want that to happen to your child when he grows up.
According to dr. Andreas, one way to overcome a child’s fear of grass is to consistently introduce grass to him every day. Do it slowly and don’t force it, Mom.
Reporting from the verywellfamily.com page, when the child is afraid to stand on the grass, Mom can carry and comfort him first. Then, Mom can help him become familiar with the grass once he calms down.
Mom could invite her to sit on the blanket and touch some grass with her own fingers. Be patient and slow, Mom. Keep exposing them back to the grass.
3. Introduce a variety of textures to children
According to dr. Andreas, another way to overcome a child’s fear of grass is to introduce him to a variety of textures.
“Introduce stimulation of various textures such as smooth, soft, rough, soft,” wrote dr. Andreas on his upload on his personal Instagram.
That’s information about “Is it normal for children to be afraid of grass and how to deal with it?” Hopefully this information can help Moms who have children with a fear of grass, yes. Cheers, Mom!
