Can you ‘act’ the story and perform it to an audience? You might want to find some props to help you and add sound effects / music too.

Dennis's mother is a larger monster than Dennis, though obviously of the same species. [3] A caring mother, she tries to get her son, Dennis, to sleep on top of his bed and to discontinue his fear of humans. [5] When Dennis refuses to sleep on top of his bed, she goes through extreme difficulties to get him to sleep. She keeps the light on, she gives Dennis his teddy bear. [5] Imagine that a monster was a real animal and write a report about it, describing its habitat, diet, adaptations etc. (see Resources below). Imagine that Dennis and the boy met again and became friends. What adventures might they have together? The world is a scary place for children, absolutely everything they see and hear is new at one point and they have to learn whether it poses a threat or not. Part of that frame of reference comes from a child’s parents. If the child is told something is scary, they will likely believe it.

This book includes examples of the following tropes:

An animated adaptation of the book was broadcast on September 9, 1989, as one of the ABC Weekend Specials. [1] Various liberties were taken with the adaptation such as Dennis’ name being changed to Trashy and having an antagonist. The Monster Bed is a children's book written by Jeanne Willis and illustrated by Susan Varley. The book originally went to press in 1986. A Monster Repellant Spray: you can mix water and lavender essential oil in a small spray bottle and, as part of the bedtime routine, spray under the bed and wherever the monster is hiding; Mummy, it is very big, huge! With sharp teeth and sharp claws. It has a very long tongue and lava-proof scales. And it can turn invisible so nobody can see it. But it’s still there!” The scary monsters under the bed is a variation of the bogeyman which has existed for centuries, in various guises, all around the world. It is likely that the bogeyman legend originated simply as a behaviour deterrent for children. For example, if a child doesn’t go to bed then they might be told that the bogeyman will ‘get them’. Not exactly grade-A parenting, but a common technique nonetheless, and one that is no doubt still used.

Faeries Don't Believe in Humans, Either: When her son panics about the possibility of humans crawling under his bed, Dennis' mother tells him that humans are fictional creatures. At the end, the narrator tells the reader to avoid the Withering Wood, or they might meet Dennis' mother, who would tell them they don't exist. Teach them a Magic Spell that turns a monster into a fluffy bunny: e.g. “Abrakadabra, monster to bunny” (or a frog – Nanny Plum’s favourite spell from the Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom show)As Dennis falls asleep, a young boy skips school and ventures into the Withering Wood to hide (presumably from his parents). He walks deep into the woods so that he comes upon Dennis's and his mother's cave. Not knowing where he is, he walks into the cave for rest. He then decides to sleep. [6]

Children don’t have years of experience coping with such sounds at night and mastering the art of falling asleep, so they are particularly susceptible to signs or indicators of threat at night. As children enter their primary school years, they develop the cognitive skills and ability to imagine such things as scary monsters, and their fears of the dark get projected onto the caricature of the bogeyman.’While searching for solutions on the internet, I was surprised to learn that there is a special term for fear of monsters – teraphobia. And apparently, it is very common in young children. Scientists say that fears are a normal and healthy part of childhood development (the same as tantrums). They help them to make sense of the world and develop important coping skills for their whole life. The illustrations were created by Susan Varley using watercolor and pencil. The illustrations give the reader the impression that both Dennis and his mother are just like humans. Susan Varley even added a small easter egg to her illustrations—a closer look at Dennis's many toys everywhere in the house reveals that they are the same creatures as seen in Where the Wild Things Are. [13] Plush toy [ edit ] The story tells a tale of a little monster who is scared to go to bed. His poor mum has trouble getting him to go to sleep because the little monster believes that humans live under his bed and they will get him in the night. One night the monster decides to sleep under his bed “for if I am there and a human comes near, it won’t think to look for me, safe under here”. That night a boy becomes lost and finds himself in the monsters cave, he spots the bare mattress and tiredly lies down. The boy mum’s is not there to kiss him good night or look for monsters under the bed so the boy has to do it him. The boy gets down on his knees and... found one!

While the mysterious monster may still stay under the bed, your child can learn how to cope with his fear. Here are a few ideas: Dennis has a strong fear of human children. He believes that there are humans underneath his bed, just as humans believe there are monsters underneath their beds. [5] This fear has led him into trouble with his mother. He has even bitten her nose while she was about to kiss him. [14] However, in the end, Dennis chose to sleep underneath his bed so that the children could not find him underneath there. [6] Dennis's mother [ edit ] Dennis's mother (right) listens to Dennis (left) explain why he believes humans are under his bed and will get him as he sleeps. Fear of monsters under the bed, similar to nightmares, start between four and five years old as a child’s imagination becomes more vivid and they start to understand more abstract concepts, such as fear, but still have trouble distinguishing fact from fantasy.

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Discuss with your child what the monster looks like. Maybe even ask them to draw it. And the second step here will be to reduce the exposure to the content that may trigger the fear. For little kids, even a pokemon may turn into a horrible monster. 3. Teach a child a coping strategy. Imagine there is a light ball in front of your tummy. It’s a magical light that scares away monsters, ghosts, or other scary creatures, big or small. It’s inside you, and always ready to help. Now. Imagine how it starts spinning around your body, creating a cocoon of bright protective light – that will be your anti-monster shield. You can create one every night before you go to sleep, and it will stay there till morning. You are in charge. Your monster can’t get you when you have the shield around you. It can still be under your bed, but you are safe. Finally, teach your children the art and skill of relaxation. When a child is relaxed, their limbic system calms down, and they are less vulnerable to the stress of fear. In addition, they begin to associate bedtime with relaxation rather than worry. There are wonderful relaxation scripts, books and audio CDs that you can use on a regular basis. The Sleep Matters Podcast One night last week, we had an unexpected visitor in our bedroom. The intruder slid between the sheets, hugged me tightly and whispered: “Mummy, there is a monster under my bed! It’s really scary. Can I sleep with you?” As we said earlier, the monster under the bed (and particularly the bogeyman) has become a part of popular culture, frequently appearing in literature, film and TV. Fungus the Bogeyman is a well-known children’s book, while the Harry Potter series also has its own version in the form of the shapeshifting Boggart.