So your kid's terrified of elevators. It happens. The good news is there are a couple of things you can try tomorrow—or rather, the next time you try getting them into one. Start by being upfront: "We're taking the elevator to the second floor. You can hold my hand or push the button." Kids love buttons (unless it's a panic button, obviously).
Elevator anxiety in children is more common than you might think. Remember the first time you saw an escalator? All those moving steps! Elevators can seem like a sealed box, especially for little ones who wonder if they'll ever come out on the same floor they entered. (Spoiler: they will.)
Here are three things that have helped my own anxious kid:
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Small Bribes: I'm talking about stuff like stickers or a bite of their favorite granola bar. Not huge prizes—just enough fun to distract them. I once convinced my son to get into an elevator by promising him a trip to the park later that afternoon. Not my proudest parenting moment, but hey, it worked.
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Talk About It: Before you even get near an elevator, have a quick chat. Say, "Why don’t you tell me what you’re worried about?" Sometimes, just talking things through makes it less daunting. (My daughter once confessed she thought elevators were tiny monster rooms—kids, right?)
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Make It a Game: Count the buttons, the lights, or time how long the ride takes. You might find this amusing: I once race-timed a short elevator ride and my kid, stopwatch in hand, shouted with glee as we hit the 3-second mark. Who knew timing could be fun?
Here's how one scenario played out: Last Tuesday, at exactly 3:47 PM (thank you, digital clock on the first floor), we faced the elevator again. "You remember the purple dinosaur sticker from last time? Let's get another," I said, holding out the pack. She nodded, a minor miracle in parenting terms.
It’s not foolproof. My second kid thought elevators led straight to outer space—I've no idea why. But trying these steps can definitely make things smoother.
So, next time you hear "Not the elevator!", try saying, "Okay, how about we time this? Bet it’s faster than the stairs!" This, of course, won’t solve all elevator issues worldwide, but it might just get you through that errand.