Spiders, dogs and the dark are among the top 40 things we fear the most as children, along with beards, boiled eggs and bagels!
Other common phobias include monsters under the bed, clowns, going to the loo and the tooth fairy, with some of the more unique fears experienced by some kids including buttons, gravy and the sound of cutlery rubbing together.
Around seven in ten mums and dads said they had a fear as a child and 68 per cent of them have taken their phobia into adulthood.
The research of 1,582 parents with children age 16 and under was commissioned to celebrate the DVD release of ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’, which is released on Monday 6 February.
Michael Rosen, author of ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ and former British Children’s Laureate said: “When children join in the Bear Hunt, they discover that the thing about today and tomorrow is that you can’t go over it, you can’t go under it, you do have to go through it!
“This is a fantastic opportunity to think and talk about feelings. The film will show children that it’s a good thing to face up to our fears and worries.”
TOP 40 FEARS AMONG CHILDREN:
- Spiders
- The Dark
- Monsters under the bed/in the cupboard
- Thunder and lightning
- Wasps
- Being alone
- Loud noises
- People wearing masks
- Dogs
- Strangers
- Dentists
- Clowns
- Ghosts
- Needles
- Snakes
- Moths
- Death
- Costume Characters (eg Football mascots, characters at theme parks)
- Heights
- Zombies
- Doctors
- Toilets & Bathrooms
- Blood
- Sharks
- Loneliness
- Bears
- Cats
- Loss
- Ants
- Santa Claus
- Flying
- Worms
- Dolls
- Water
- Birds
- Cars and other vehicles
- Butterflies
- Fish
- Forests
- Tooth Fairy