Fears, we all have them. Yet, often, parents have a hard time dealing with the fears of their children.  Nancy Kristensen from Family Information Services, Minneapolis, MN. offers these techniques in helping children to conquer their fears:
        Impart some of your adult strength to the child by moving in close and holding the child or putting your arm around him/her.
        Actively listen to the child's fear... "That big dog is frightening to you. He seems almost as tall as you are and you are scared he might push you over." or "It's frightening to think about dying. That must scare you. No wonder you are having trouble getting to sleep."
        Ask them what you can do to make the fearful situation easier for them. The child might want you to hold them up high, put the room light on, or sit by them for awhile. (With the younger child, you will probably have to just try and figure out what might make him feel better by trial and error.)
        Later on, talk about the frightening experience. "Being in that deep water scared you, didn't it?" Ask them questions about the fear, and how they felt. Let them talk some of the fear out. Help the child to know that it is okay to be frightened, that you have fears too, and that when you were little, you were frightened of similar events. Talk about the fact that just because they may be frightened of the dark now, does not mean they will always be frightened of it. Let them know they have already mastered some of their fears.
        As parents, it is important to recognize children's fears for what they are - an intelligent reaction to a frightening, often confusing world. Once these fears are recognized, the next step is to use techniques to reassure and comfort the child.  So simple, yet something hard to do.  For more information, many child development books at the library have chapters on dealing with childhood fears and recommend specific techniques for parents to try.