Ever since my son was very young, he has always been scared of the shower. Every time I take him near the shower, he screams and cries and I can't understand why.

Not too long ago, my son, who is now four years old, came to me and told me a story that sent chills up and down my spine and made me cry. That afternoon I had asked him, "Why don't you take a shower today instead of a bath. He said, "I don't want to die, Mommy."

I asked, "What are you talking about?"

He answered, "I died in the shower with my other mommy." I asked him again what he was talking about, and he said very clearly, "The army men made me and Mommy go in the shower with all the other people, and we died."

The first thing that came to my mind was the horror of the Holocaust, but we have never allowed him to watch anything on television dealing with the Holocaust. He still is adamant about not going in the shower, and sometimes he tells me little details which are impossible for him to know.

For instance, he says that he had "boo boo's" all over his body that itched all day, and that he always got yelled at for scratching them. I've heard of the horrible body lice that people in the concentration camps had to endure. He also talks about dogs. He is scared to death of dogs and says he was bitten by a dog on his leg. The area where he says he was bitten has a birthmark.

annie lethcoe
annie_lethcoe@yahoo.com

Posted Feb 2nd, 2005