How Can I Believe Her?
My 10-year-old daughter told me last night that she sees ghosts.
I don’t know what to do.
I don’t want to make her feel insecure or afraid. How can I tell if she is even telling me the truth?
I asked her to explain everything and she did in very vivid detail. She never lies to me and I have no reason to believe that she is now.
Any suggestions?
Signed: A concerned mother (name withheld by request)
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Athena Responds
Dr. Athena DrewesI always believe when children tell me things, especially that they are seeing ghosts or other items to help validate and affirm their experiences.
However, that is not to say sometimes children and adults can misunderstand or misconceive what they see or experience or there may be a more logical or scientific answer rather than psychic. Having your daughter keep a journal of her experiences, writing down the details, what she saw, felt, experienced (including colors, feelings, smells, etc.) will help her begin to see patterns and better understanding her experiences.
As she gets older she may find her abilities increasing or new ones emerging.
Reading “Kids Who See Ghosts” by Caron Goode (shown below) can help you and your daughter better understand her experiences and not to be so fearful of them. Letting your daughter know that you are there for her, at any time, to talk about her experiences, will be very important so she has someone she can come to and discuss her experiences.
“Kids Who See Ghosts: How to Guide Them Through Fear” by Caron B Goode
Available on Amazon Click here »
She may find that friends, teachers and adults she tells her experiences to may react with anger, fear, teasing, or distrust as not everyone believes in the ability to see ghosts (and for some it may go against religious beliefs). So you will become a more and more important person for her to be able to share and sort out her experiences.
Listening to her, having her tell you what she sees and feels, without any judgment on your parts, will be most helpful in keeping the communication between you open.
Athena Drewes, Psy.D., RPT-S
Perceptive Children Network