projection

It's hard not to project our fears and nervous habits onto our children. It's important that we try not to though. At the first center I worked at there was a little boy who didn't like to get his hands dirty. Anytime he got them dirty he would either wipe them on his pants or ask you to clean them for him. Some children are sensory sensitive and they don't like to do any activity with the senses, however this little boy wasn't a sensory sensitive boy. When his mom was around and he got his hands dirty she would be right there to clean them off and basically didn't like him getting dirty in anyway. This kept him from exploring the world around him because he was taught not to touch anything and if he did to immediately wash his hands.

Some parents are so afraid of anything bad happening to their child they non-intentionally teach their children to fear the world. Then when the child won't try anything new they get frustrated and don't understand that they have taught their child not to be curious because every time their child was curious about something they rushed in and told them no because something bad may happen to them.

It's important to teach your child about the world and it's our job as parents to teach them about the world. Don't touch the stove because it's hot, don't play with the mop it's dirty, don't eat the sand, bite, hit etc. It's our job as the parents to teach our children how the world works and what the rules of the house, child care and world are. It's also important to teach your children why the rules are what they are. If you just say don't touch the stove and don't tell them the reason they shouldn't is because it's hot, they really aren't going to care that an adult told them not to touch the stove. This concept goes with anything you want to teach your children. Tell them why they should or shouldn't do something. If a parent or care giver doesn't tell the child why they'll just blow off what the adult said and not care that the adult said not to do something. A child doesn't care that they were told not to do something and won't unless they're told why they shouldn't do something.It's hard not to teach our children not to fear the things we fear and to not project our fears or idiosyncrasy's onto our children but it's our job to teach them how the world works and why, not teach them to fear it.