Scared of Bugs

I never wanted my daughter to be scared of bugs. I didn't think she would be scared of bugs. I, myself, have always had a fascination with insects. As a child I examined them carefully under my magnifying glass as they crawled, hopped, and hobbled in various environments ranging from the great outdoors, to homeade ant farms. I stuffed mobs of boxelder bugs into the plastic containers that used to hold vending machine toys purchased for a quarter. I admired butterflies and caterpillars in jars. I swooped and danced about with my homeade butterfly net: cheesecloth attached to a wire clothes hanger.

Bugs, bees, spiders, and the like have never bothered me. I see one, watch it, and don't get worked up about it. Even a mosquito doesn't really bother me unless it's part of a hungry horde. My daughter, however, despite my best efforts to be calm, cool and collected about bugs, is turning into a screeching girl. Every time she sees a bug she runs away shrieking.

It all started when we were at a party for pediatricians. She was on the deck when a hornet flew by and stung her, once on the hand, once on the eyelid, and once on the side of her face. Might I mention that a pediatric party is the ideal place for a two year old to get stung by a hornet. There were twelve people who knew exactly what to do. Yet, even still she was traumatized, and now thinks that all bugs will sting, bite, and are generally out to make her life miserable. An ant crawling on the sandbox is cause for alarm. A fly buzzing in the window sends her half across the room. We are working hard on differentiating between dangerous and safe bug. I explain 25 times daily that "honker bugs" otherwise known as hornets, can bite, but not all bugs bite, and I am hoping this is just a phase.