Young Child Afraid of Older Children

My son is in kindergarten, and he is always afraid of kids who are bigger than he is. He is not comfortable eating with older children in the cafeteria and is afraid of being hit by them, even though this has never happened. How should I guide him not to be afraid of bigger and older children? - Anxious Mom
Answer: It's always important to work with your children's teachers, especially when problems are occurring at school. You might start by asking the teacher about having an older boy work with your child at school. The child could read to him or assist your son in some way in the classroom. It will work best if the older child is not a great deal larger than your son.
The teacher is likely to have some other good ideas about how to help your son become comfortable around older and bigger children. At home, you could continue in the same way by finding an older relative or neighborhood child who could work with your son on some project.