Customer Reviews

So the Witch Won't Eat Me: Fantasy and the Child's Fear of Infanticide (Master Work)

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This is an insightful book that features detailed descriptions of numerous children with fears, phobias and obsessions. Although the author relies on outdated psychoanalytic theory to analyze the cases, she argues convincingly that children are often the victims of parents who express excessive jealousy, thereby provoking the child's expectation of retaliation - probably the murder of the child.

Well written with humor and optimism about successful treatment, this book is useful for parents to learn how to prevent children's terror in the first place: if a little boy wants to monopolize his mommy, or a little girl wants to monopolize her daddy, don't express anger or resentment. Be mature about it - show your understanding of the child's feelings and show your love for the child.

Here's a taste of what's in this book:

Little girl: "A bad boy at school showed me his wee-wee."

Therapist: "I think you like wee-wees."

Little girl: "I love them!"

When a child expresses an exaggerated need for parental approval, that may be a sign that the child is terrified of the parent's wrath. Reassure the child that it's all right to have feelings a parent may disapprove of. Parental disapproval isn't a death sentence, or at least it shouldn't be. Children not only have a right to live, they have a right to stray from their parents' expectations and preferences. Highly recommended!