Why do some children have a fear of the dark and other children don't seem to be bothered with it?

Question

Why do some children have a fear of the dark and other children don't seem to be bothered with it?

Answer 1

well i am not a child (kinda :)) and i am afraid of the dark sometimes. i just perfer there being some kind of light to sleep wit and the radio has to be on or else i wont sleep it feels more like me  

Answer 2

some children watch a lot of scary movies and others dont

Answer 3

exposure plays a big part. a child will not be afraid if that child is not exposed to scarry things and knowledge about monster. being scared in the dark is also an unconcious reaction of awareness for protection because we dont have clear sense on what is going to happen or what is happening around us.

Answer 4

well when i was little i wasnt scared of the dark, then all of a sudden i heard some classmates talking about "bloody mary" and figures like that. after that i was seriously spooked about night itself. then eventually i cooled down and realized there was no such thing like that. then i watched a couple of scary movies and listened to some ghost stories, then came my nightlight months. after that i settled down and forgot all about that c**p. but still now and then i get a little spooked out in the dark.

it all has to do with the mindset, and mental ability to handle it. thats all.  

Answer 5

They think monsters will come out of closet and get them.Other kids don't believe in that monster c**p.

Answer 6

This kind of refers to your other question.  My family used to tell me (i was the youngest) that at night there were bears under my bed that would grab me if I got out of bed.  Then other kids would tell stories about weird things and happenings that occur in the dark.  So, this kindled in me a healthy respect of the dark, if not fear.  Interesting, dark=sinister, light=goodness.

Answer 7

Experiences. My boys (at the time 2, 7 and 8) were in the bedroom playing and knocked the blinds down. One of my teenage nephews decided to play a joke on the older ones and put on a mask and go stand outside the window in the dark trying to scare them. After that night, the 2 yr old (now 7) has to have EVERY light in the house on and the curtains pulled tight after dark. He can't take the dark, where my daughter  is only a year older than him (not in the bedroom when it happened) and needs complete darkness to sleep.  

Answer 8

I don't really know. I have a daughter who can only get to sleep when her room is pitch black.