Being chased or attacked in a dream is quite scary for any individual, especially a child. And these nightmares are actually quite common. After all, how many times have you woken up from one of them feeling anxious and helpless, yet relieved once you've discovered the experience wasn't real. These dreams are our way of sorting out a conflict we're dealing with in everyday life, and this type of internal struggle is similar for children. They may be reacting to a perceived or real threat (eg. a school bully or a mean sibling) or an obstacle to getting something they want.

In dreams, moms can certainly represent themselves, which means they can be depicted as authoritative, protective, and loving, and as the glue that keeps the family together. However, if in real life, a child or adolescent's mom doesn't take on these caregiving roles, then the child may characterize her mom this way to signify what he longs for. On the flip side, a child may resent his mom's rules and strictness, and could depict her as a villain, witch, or a threatening creature in nightmares. Likewise, if the child's mom isn't living up to expectations for what a mom should act like, she may be portrayed through negative or scary imagery as well. In addition, just as people will say that children look or act like their parents, a child will see aspects of her personality that she likes or dislikes depicted in the mother figure in her dreams. When dreaming about their mothers, boys may also be thinking about feminine qualities within their personalities.

In dreams, dads can certainly represent themselves, which means they can be depicted as authoritative, protective, and strong. In dreams, he can by symbolized by the king character, or he can be shown as a savior or wise, old man. However, if in real life, a child or adolescent's dad doesn't take on these caregiving roles and instead is absent, aggressive, or controlling, then the child may characterize his father in positive ways to signify what he longs for. On the flip side, a child may represent his dad for what he is, symbolizing him as a stranger, villain, or a threatening creature in nightmares. In addition, just as people will say that children look or act like their parents, a child will see aspects of his personality that he likes or dislikes depicted in the father figure in his dreams. When girls dream about their fathers, they may also be thinking about masculine qualities within themselves.

Being chased or attacked in a dream is quite scary for any individual, especially a child. And these nightmares are actually quite common. After all, how many times have you woken up from one of them feeling anxious and helpless, yet relieved once you've discovered the experience wasn't real. These dreams are our way of sorting out a conflict we're dealing with in everyday life, and this type of internal struggle is similar for children. They may be reacting to a perceived or real threat (e.g., a school bully or a mean sibling) or an obstacle to getting something they want.

The child who dreams about bears may be fearful of something. She may even feel as if someone is directing anger toward her, or she may be angry herself. Just as a bear is an instinctual creature, a child who dreams about one may be dealing with wild emotions or impulses. For tweens dealing with puberty or adolescents, bears can be a male symbol and represent budding sexuality.

The color black is saturated with meaning. For one, because of its absolute darkness, it's often linked to evil or tied to negative experiences, such as depression and mourning. Often chasers in nightmares are wearing dark clothes or they're ambiguous, dark, threatening figures. In movies and TV, the evil character is usually easily identifiable by his black wardrobe. Nightmares, such as in dreams about being lost, can often be set in dark places or the dreamscape could bathed in a dark haze. Because whatever is cloaked in darkness is obscure, the color black is mysterious, which can have bad or good connotations, because in addition to being related to the unknown, mystery could also be connected to surprises and adventure. Furthermore, the color black is even more complex when considering the racial and ethnic differences among people. For example, in some African cultures, dreaming of a Caucasian individual could be frightening because of historical implications; and in China, the color white, not black, is associated with mourning.

The dreamer feels very loved and comforted in his life.