Joanna Fortune: My 8-year-old is afraid of the dark, how can I reassure her?

Consider placing a small teddy on your tummy and onto hers and challenge each other to make the teddy rise up and down as slowly as possible using just your breath. This will help to make breath work more playful

Dr Joanna Fortune: Avoid making her fear of the dark a big issue that needs to be dealt with every night, as this could cause you to become anxious as you anticipate her reaction. What your daughter needs most is a calm response

My eight-year-old daughter has a fear of the dark. We have a nightly routine where we check that all the windows are closed before she sleeps. I also leave a nightlight on in her room. But she is still anxious and sometimes even fearful. What can I do to reassure her?

Fear of the dark is one of the most common childhood fears with as many as half of all children experiencing some degree of it. An active imagination is a great strength during the day, but it can work against children at night as they can easily conjure up all kinds of scenarios in their worried brains.