Not-so-imaginary Friends

As a child I always saw spirit. Sometimes that feeling of being watched made me scared. I couldn't find the words to the grown ups, most of whom didn't want to listen anyway. As a mother of a mini witch, if you have a child bothered by the things they see, feel or know I would suggest.

Talk about it. 
Children are smarter than we give them credit for. Make it a story.

"Once upon a time there was a boy/girl who was magickal, and they could do anything in their dreams..."

Songs and Games
Kids won't remember, especially when scared complicated protection spells. Here are some simple sing-song rhymes.

"Circle, circle, round and bright, keeps me safe day and night."

 "Shoo, Shoo, go away, I am busy! I can not play." 

"In my dreams, I did see [what they saw] I don't mind they can't hurt me."

"In the candle, I can see [what they see] looking at me. They say [what they say] and now I say I am done!" (blow out candle.)

Kids smell fear.
Any teacher will tell you that kids can tell if you are scared. In a schools setting this can be anarchy. At home, if you are scared they will be frightened. Accept that this little one is seeing things that are beyond their years and are overwhelmed enough! Let go of your own fear. Accept and love them for who they are.

Sleeping space.
   Soft music that plays all night, chamomile hot chocolate (you make up the chamomile tea then use it to make the instant hot chocolate) a lavender foot rub and an empowering bedtime story help settle the child that usually finds sleep frightening. I would often cast a circle around my daughter room if we were going to being ritual that night. I just wanted her to have a nice bubble of peace and sleep around her, so our ruckus wouldn't wake her.

Make a protection charm
It is important you don't just give it to them and that they help make it because this is about the child feeling helpless, which is frightening. Allow them to feel that this is something they can control.
You can chose something sparkly with lots of glitter and sweet herbs, or something ugly to scare stuff away.
You can use felt and they can draw the pretty faery, or gruesome goblin (or monster) and stuff it with glitter hearts for love, written "happy thoughts" (or awful thoughts like homework, sprouts and snot) you can add sweet herbs like rose petals (or St Johns wort which is "pongy"). Then you sew it all up and then get them to hang it in their room where it will only allow good to come in or where they will scare the bad things away.They will know "where the bad stuff comes in".

Keep talking
When things settle down grown ups tend to forget that kids will still need to talk about their dreams and their experiences. I learned as a child "these are things we don't talk about". All my family see or experience stuff but it left a gap between us. Keep those lines of communication open.

I hope some of this helps. Blessings xx      
I do not own this image it is Brian Froud.