Moms Talk: How Do You Help Little Ones Deal with Nightmares and Monsters Under the Bed?

Welcome to Moms Talk, a new feature on Mount Helix Patch that's part of our initiative to reach out to moms and families. Moms Talk isn't just for moms, though, it's also a place for dads, grandparents and the diverse families who make up our community.

Mount Helix Patch invites you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for discussing everything from teething to Tiger Mothers to teen pregnancy. We are recruiting a Moms Council of  knowledgeable mothers who will work with the editor to help us answer questions posted by parents, lead discussions of key parenting topics in our area and reach out to online and offline moms’ groups in the community.

Want to join the Moms Council? Please e-mail me at eric.yates@patch.com.

Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council will take your questions, give advice and share solutions. Moms Talk will be your place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation today.

Here's our discussion topic this week:

Bedtime can be stressful for children who are anxious about the dark and bad dreams that sometimes come with the rest they need. There are a variety of ways adults can help children overcome these fears, including nighttime routines that scare away the "monsters" under the bed or simply leaving a light on until your child falls asleep.