5 year old reaction to wasps/bees & nightmares

[scotty]

Our 4.5yr old daughter has developed a very sudden fear of flying insects particularly Bees. Neither of us or anyone directly involved in her care have a particular fear of insects and no one around her has any sort of reaction to flying insects so we don't really understand why this has suddenly started happening. My 2 concerns are:- she reacts with such sudden and violent fear that she could run in the road to get away from an insect or really cause her self some danger as she will not listen to reason. The other thing is that she has started having night terrors, convinced there is a Bee in her room and its going to get her. I've recently witnessed her scream at the top of her voice and dive out of bed flailing around. I am really worried that she is going to come to some harm and I am desperate to find a solution to this before summer kicks in. We of course have tried talking to her and explaining and she seems placated until the next time. Any suggestions please. Thank you

[tazz]

hi i dont know a answer but i went throu it myself. i am still now scared of anything that flys including birds. i dont like being near insects either. so i know how she feels n its really not nice. i got ran over by a car running away from flying ants when i was 11yrs old. i wish i knew the answer but really dont think there is one. its a phobia. my older brother used to wind me up with creepy crawlys thou so could b cos of that. is any1 winding ur daughter up maybe in school etc. sorry cant help more but hope this helps abit knowing that its not just ur daughter whos like it

[Psychick]

My daughter was about 3 years old when she seemed to develop a phobia of insects. So much so, she refused to go out in the garden all summer. If she see a fly or something similar, she would scream and frantically flap her arms while running away. We never worked out what started this but thankfully, now 7, she has grown out of it. Hopefully your daughter will too.

Sorry I cant offer a solution.

[clarey]

Freaky, I was about to post the same thing, however these nightmares are now turning into daymares, my daughter now keeps imaging swarms of bees and wasps where ever we go.
This only started in the last few nights.
I appreciate its disturbing to see our little ones have these night terrors too, as like your daughter, mine throws of her cover, and screams and cries needing to be consoled to early morning.
I am wondering if it would be worth showing your daughter Bee movie (by Pixar) to show her the funny side to bees.
It may be worth even having some honey on bread, and if she likes it, explaining how the bees make it. Anything I guess to distract her belief that bees are only there to sting her. We also do a bee ritual before we go to bed, checking for bees, very light heartedly, and making one of her bears the bee keeper that stays by her bedroom door to prevent any bees coming in her room.
So far its works.....until 4am when the terrors start again, but we are slowly making progress. We then start again.
Let me know how you get on. Thanks Clare.

[scotty]

She has seen the Bee movie some time ago and it didn't make much of an impression on her. I suggested we buy it and she said 'no mummy there is no point I know its not real' [!]
Someone suggested a dream catcher....maybe give that a go.
Thanks everyone