“My daughter told me that she saw a short bald man standing in the corner of her room and that he was friendly. Later she told me that there was another tall man with a stick who hit a girl and it scared her. Is this all real?”

The question came from a listener on Newfoundland's K-Rock radio show and is a common question I get asked.

Can kids see ghosts?
First, I'd like to change the wording. Ghosts conjure up images of good and evil. Movies like Poltergeist and the terrifying scene in Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark don't do much to help with that (although I loved both movies)!

I prefer the term spirit. So, can children sense spirits?
The answer is yes and here is why: young children don't have the limitations of life and belief systems installed fully. They haven't been “taught” that “ghosts don't exist” so that limitation isn't there.

Our deceased loved ones are most certainly watching over us and I'm absolutely convinced beyond a doubt that they exploit this “opening” to visit young children in particular. After all, young children are new life and it brings joy to spirit they are embarking on a life journey.

Who Are These Spirits?
The spirits will most often be deceased relatives and much of the time they will be grandparents coming through, although not always. When my daughter was quite young, she described both my father and my mother to an absolute ‘t'. Not descriptions of dress, as she knew what they had looked like in photos, but stuff she couldn't have naturally known, such as mannerisms and behaviors.

Can They Be Frightening?
The short answer is yes, although they don't mean to scare or frighten. At least, not intentionally. IF you have a child that is frightened, you can calm them by letting him/her know they are friendly and that they have the power to tell them to stop doing what frightens them.

Can We Banish The Spirits?
Absolutely! But that would be very sad, as their intent is only love and encouragement.

How Can I Tell The Difference Between Spirits And Imaginary Friends
Most kids have imaginary friends, particularly under five years old. I'm not a psychologist, but I did speak to one who informed me that imaginary friends at that age is completely normal and to be expected.

So, what's the difference? Well, imaginary friends tend to be flexible to a situation. When you ask you child about details they'll often pause as they create answers. Frankly, it is quite adorable at times and fun to experience.
But a spirit, like a real person, won't be flexible and the answers will be quite forthcoming. They'll often be able to describe them with terrific accuracy and details without hesitation. As in “the man was standing THERE and was wearing X, Y, and Z.”

Yes, Blair, But What If I'm Scared?
Well, there's nothing to be afraid of, really. In my case, my Mom passed several years before my daughter was born. She had several grandsons, but no granddaughters. She would have loved to have been around for that but it wasn't meant to be. It tickled me pink knowing that death didn't stop her. It brought me comfort knowing that she would visit my daughter.

Be careful that you don't pass YOUR fears along to them. Embrace it, as I have experienced many clients who have had messages brought forth through youngsters from the deceased that have been extremely helpful!

A Child Brings A Welcome Spirit Message
Nancy, a client of mine recently told me her brother's dog had had to be put down due to illness. A brown Labrador retriever that was a best buddy to her daughter Lissa. Naturally, the family was quite devastated by the loss.
One morning her daughter came bouncing into the kitchen and informed her, “Mom, Buster is happy now.”

Nancy was busy, smiled at Lissa and both went on about the day.
Later, Nancy was struck by the complete change in attitude in Lissa from utter sadness to being completely okay with it all.

She sat down and chatted with her daughter to discover that her daughter had seen Grandpa the night previous in her room and Buster was with him, happy as can be–no longer in pain or suffering and, she reported getting spoiled by Grandpa!

Embrace these wonderful connections! Learn what they are trying to show you…