My Toddler Is Suddenly Fearful of Bugs/bees

Hmm, I guess his fear is due to not understanding the insects? My kids made pets out of everything small and living. My daughter at age 2 requested a bug theme b'day. It was easy to do, but not what I'd dreamed I would ever do for my "princess". At the age of 18 months she came walking from my tulip bed carrying a green snake like it was the sweetest thing she'd ever seen....My advice is certainly not based on my experience but I would probably watch some Disney type bug theme movies. Buy some rubber or plastic bugs. Get a mason jar, punch holes in the lid and go on a bug hunt. (we actually did that one as an activity for the 2ND b'day party). Go to the library and check out a book on insects. Talk about the good things that the bugs do. Then maybe just try to be understanding of his fears, while talking him through it? Good luck.

Both of our boys (5 and 7) are terrified of most insects, but our 2 year old daughter loves everything creepy and crawly. I do think some of the fearful behavior is picked up by modeling older siblings (and sometimes parents), and it can be difficult if not impossible to convince them that their fears are unnecessary. I believe it also comes from having a vague sense that some insects can hurt them but not having any way of rating the true seriousness of the danger posed. Probably the best thing you can do is show them first by your example that bugs are nothing to be afraid of (I have to work on this because spiders terrify me), and then take them outside regularly so they observe and interact with the outside world. Frequent exposure to the world around them will lessen their anxiety about dangerous/scary things. We did not have good places to go and play when my boys were very small, but my daughter has been enjoying the outdoors almost since her birth. Her brothers are a lot less fearful now that they have a place where they can play than when we moved to this house.

Maybe you can take him online and show him some really cool looking bugs, boys are supposed to be into that stuff, right? lol. Teach him about bugs, read about them. Educate him a little more about how most bugs are not harmful? Also, get him out digging in the dirt to find different insects and such. I have always heard that to conquer your fear you must face it. Now, I'm not telling you to torture him and scare the heck out of him..lol. Maybe he is just looking for the same kind of attention your 10 month old gets when he is scared of something? I have no prior experience with this.. just a thought.. Good Luck!!

ignore it, the more you cuddle him and love on him it tells him their is something to be scared of.

Maybe you could watch "A Bug's Life" together. That is a cute movie about bugs.

Then I would also buy a few toy bugs to play with and play with them with him.

Good luck!