If you have children, there is a high chance that you have dealt with “monsters under the bed.” Parents and guardians from time immemorial have been fabricating stories about monsters in order to make the children more obedient. It indeed makes sense - a savage monster is just about the only thing that will convince a seven-year-old to brush his teeth before going to bed.

However, children who are told creepy and scary stories are likely to believe them as true stories. It has been found that children of five years of age have trouble distinguishing facts from fantasies. Most fears fade as children grow, but if your children are preoccupied with them, they will need your help to overcome them. Too much exposure to fear might harm them psychologically, and their creativity might deteriorate as their creative right brain is always busy objectifying the fear their parents instilled on them.

Instead of using fear tactics, you should make the children do things in a different manner more pleasant. Rather than telling them that something spooky will haunt them if they do not do what you tell them to do, just tell them to complete their tasks in a playful manner. You can also give them reasons why is it important for them to complete these tasks. Children these days are smart enough to understand those reasons; not everything needs to be driven by fear of monsters under the bed.