How I help my son to overcome his hydrophobia
By ida123
@ida123 (6206)
Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
April 2, 2016 5:43am CST
When my eldest son was 3 years old, he had a hydrophobia. I felt so sorry upon seeing him shaking his knees and body upon seeing the sea, I brought him there because we had a family picnic, that was the first time I saw him that way. What I did, I embraced him so tight and hold his head and whispering him that it's okey, Mama is here, I won't leave you because I love you. I never let him toke a bath, we just seat in the cottage, looking at his cousins bathing.
Our family picnic took place again and still he was shaking but not too often and I did embrace him, hold his head and whispering him the same words and I let him came nearer to the beach, I let him feel the splash of water and telling him that taking a bath in the sea is alright and the following occasions, he can manage to take a bath without shaking his body and his legs and latter, he knows how to swim of his own.
I'm thankful that I help him overcome his hydrophobia.
How about you friends, does anyone of your children has hydrophobia and how did you help him/her overcome it.
11 people like this
15 responses
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
2 Apr 16
hydrophobia is fear of the water, even drinking water. When I read the title of your discussion, i thought to myself if your son even drinks water, but then, you meant fear of the ocean.maybe he has a traumatic experience.
1 person likes this
@ida123 (6206)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
3 Apr 16
@ridingbet
He's already 28 years old.
1 person likes this
@ida123 (6206)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
2 Apr 16
I don't know friend if why he has fears on big forms of water like river and ocean but that was the first time I brought him to the sea for a family picnic but his other siblings had no fears. He was 3 to 4 years old by that time.
1 person likes this
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
3 Apr 16
It's good you knew how to deal with it. Maybe it's not totally hydrophobia but fear of the sea only?
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (77209)
• Philippines
2 Apr 16
Fortunately my son doesn't have that. i sent him to a swimming class at the age of 4 and he enjoyed the water too much. He still swims until now and wouldn't get out of the water.
1 person likes this
@ida123 (6206)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
2 Apr 16
@toniganzon, good that he is too strong to swim even at young age but my 2 other sons were not afraid to swim, they like swimming a lot.
1 person likes this
@louievill (28846)
• Philippines
2 Apr 16
You are a very patient mother, no all my children love water.
1 person likes this
@iamshane487 (1138)
• Manila, Philippines
3 Apr 16
I wish many experts here can give you numerous advice. It's my first time to hear such form of phobia.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (54715)
• United States
3 Apr 16
No, we all love the water. I am glad that he is over it.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
2 Apr 16
My son was like that. He loved bathing in a bathtub, but a pool or any other body of water....not a chance. He sat at the edge of the pool watching his sisters during swimming lessons. He eventually outgrew his fear and now is an adequate swimmer who enjoys playing in the surf when they go to the ocean on vacation.
1 person likes this
@josie_ (10033)
• Philippines
2 Apr 16
I look it up in wikipedia. Your child's phobia is called Thalassophobia or an intense fear of the ocean/sea. Hydrophobia is a fear of water. which is sometimes a symptom of rabies in human. It can be scary for a 3 year old when he sees the ocean waves rolling towards them for the first time..
1 person likes this
