Hellobee Boards

We talk a lot about how monsters are pretend and there is no such thing, so that helps, but there's also a really cute book called "Marilyn's Monster" (https://www.amazon.com/Marilyns-Monster-Michelle-Knudsen/dp/0763660116) that made my daughter love monsters! Monsters are presented in a loving, cuddly way rather than in a scary way. I was a little worried it would backfire talking about monsters so much, but it might be worth picking it up at the library to see if you think it would help her.

We made Monster Spray - it's a regular spray bottle with water and a little bit of lavender, and I let B decorate it, and I drew a picture of a silly looking monster with a line through it. We also talk a lot about how the monsters are just grumpy and smelling the monster spray turns them friendly. If B says there's a monster I ask if it's a grumpy monster or a happy monster, and if he says grumpy I have a chat with the monster and make up a reason. "Hey, Monster, why are you grumpy? Oh no, your foot hurts? Do you want to go get a bandaid?" etc.

D went through this for a while, but it was at bedtime and it was a ghost in his room. We used a spray but that didn't work too well. Then we started yelling at the ghost to go away - that was the recommendation of our pediatrician. So we would yell and clap our hands and say "Go away, ghost!" It made him laugh to yell at it, and then I would say, "Ok, I see him going away now! Bye-bye, ghost!" And then he'd be fine.

This is extremely normal. I remember going through it myself. Just rationalise it with her. This is also the time for imaginary friends. So tell her about the good stories and let her imagine a friend in this monster she has imagined. Nothing at all abnormal about this behaviour. I imagined monsters living under my bed.