A Gentle Push or an Encouraging Shove?

     There's nothing more spring like then seeing a bird's nest full of eggs. Those eggs will hatch and little tiny birds will emerge. They will squeak and chirp and sit in that nest waiting for the mom and dad bird to do everything for them. They will sit and chirp and sit and chirp some more. And those parents will bring them food, keep them warm and love them in their own way.
     Having kids is a little like that. They come to you tiny, helpless and trusting you to do everything for them that will ensure their safe arrival to the next stage of their life. They look to you teach them right from wrong. They ask you millions of questions to help them understand the world around them. They try your patients to learn boundaries and they break rules resulting in the introduction of consequences. Long in short, it's a full time being a kid and it's a full time job trying to keep up with them.
     Every once in awhile something out of the ordinary pops up. A behaviour you can't stand and are having a hard time correcting it. An attitude that is highly unpleasant appears out of no where and insists on hanging about. A fear that just hangs on and won't let go. Some times you can understand these things and embrace the brief time that they are present. And other times they induce a hair pulling, foot stomping, crying inside and out fit of frustration.
     This is where my dilemma comes in. I have a child that is fearful of the dark. Down right frozen with fear. It came out of nowhere. It blindsided me and them too I think. At first it was alright. We would leave a hallway light on. Then the sleepovers stopped because they are too afraid to stay somewhere else in the dark. The child in question went to camp recently, just an overnight one, and we had to go fetch them in the middle of the night due to their fear. And not too far in the future, they are suppose to be off to a week long camp that we will have no access to. Once you are there you are there.
     There comes a point in the baby bird's life when the parent has to gently nudge them from the nest. There's where I am. I have tried gently nudging said child from the problem but it's not working. I caved and fetched them. I go get them from friends houses when they call crying to be picked up. I hold her hand and tell her it's alright. But really it's not. It's starting to affect them and me and our house.
     I am at a lose. I don't know what to do. One part of me says send them to camp and force them to deal. That would be the encouraging shove. The other part of me says, let it be. When the time comes the fear will pass and that will be that. That would be the gentle push. Let them keep trying and just rescue them when it goes south. For once this mama bird doesn't know what to. But I do know my little bird needs to spread their wings and start to fly....SOLO (Just once in awhile though).