Bad Bad Ivy, writing over at Shak In Style, writes a story about her son being afraid of monsters.
I can only share what I know but I realize little kids are terrified of monsters under the bed. When I was a kid, my mother demystified the whole monster thing for me over time by saying that they were friendly monsters but that they were cursed and had to scare me to live. They were protecting me but they had to act gruff. If they were played nice with me, they would disappear.
She wanted me to feel sorry for the monsters. And, after awhile, I did. Hell, I was a kid. Parents know this stuff, but kids, well there are other things scarier than monsters (can you say greedy politicians), but not when you are four.
Monsters scare the hell out of you.
We left the monsters a cookie and pieces of candy for a week and they went away. So ultimately, we sent them away by being kind to them.
I think it’s why I’m a monster/horror junkie to this day.
on Mar 31st, 2008 at 12:24 pm
That’s the coolest thing I’ve read all day. I’ll just may use it around here.
on Mar 31st, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Please do.
on Mar 31st, 2008 at 12:32 pm
I was about to leave a comment saying “That’s the coolest thing I’ve read all day”–like actually, literally those words–but I’ve obviously been beat to it. It really is, though. And the second-coolest thing is that I really do seem to have a mind-meld with all you peeps.
on Mar 31st, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I don’t think I ever feared monsters – my room was full of Frankenstein models, wolfmen, creatues from black lagoons, cthulu cutouts and vampires.
Real life sacred me and scares me still.
When I was about 5, I had this bright red ball-cap I liked to wear, but when I wore it in my backyard, crows would swoop down and peck at my wee head. Seems a nearby neighbor sort of kept and raised the birds. I have vivid memories of them birds coming after me. Then when I was about 6, I saw the movie “The Birds” and I felt something far beyond terror watching that. Had nightmares for weeks. In talking about that with my folks, I realized that movies were something anyone could make, even me, and I could scare the bejesus out of people too if my movie was any good.
So, I am one of those who embrace the scary and have a nasty habit of inflicting scares on others. Keeps the heart a strong muscle. Or as horror writer Robert Block once said “I have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar in my desk.”
on Mar 31st, 2008 at 1:12 pm
I was really never scared but I was convinced of not monsters under the bed but messing around in the closet.
I had all the Frankensteins too. (Joe, I swear you are my doppelganger.) Every issue of Fangoria, Monster comics, Bigfoot … you name it, I had it.
I loved them.
But the closet door was an ominous beast at age four. I think it had to do with Homer. I blame her. Seriously, I think it was the beginning of something odd (she was a baby, i was older.)
I’m scared by the cruelty of people more than I am monsters.
Monsters rawk.
on Mar 31st, 2008 at 6:36 pm
I was scared of whatever lived under the bed, be it monsters, trolls, gobblins or ethereal spirits. I used to line the bottom of the bed with my stuffed animals to protect me. If there was a break in the continuum of the barrier on the side I had to get out of to go to the bathroom, my heart would race as I lept out as far as possible to clear the reach of the would be snatchers.
One of my favorite books of the time was, My Mama Says There Aren’t Any Zombies, Ghosts, Vampires, Creatures, Demons, Monsters, Fiends, Goblins or Things, by Judith Viorst. If you’ve never read it, you’d get a kick out of it.