They do not have as complex and realistic a view of themselves and their world as they will have later in life as an adult.
Therefore, children have a more simplistic view of life than adults do. They have less self-understanding and cannot grasp, as adults can what situations require of them nor what resources they have to cope with those situations. Therefore, immediate threats are more likely to seem overwhelming to children. Given this limited perspective, children use unrealistic ideas to explain events. Children are also more dependent on other people than adults are, and while this may provide support, it makes them vulnerable to rejection and inadequate or inappropriate modeling of behavior.
Therefore, children have a more simplistic view of life than adults do. They have less self-understanding and cannot grasp, as adults can what situations require of them nor what resources they have to cope with those situations. Therefore, immediate threats are more likely to seem overwhelming to children. Given this limited perspective, children use unrealistic ideas to explain events. Children are also more dependent on other people than adults are, and while this may provide support, it makes them vulnerable to rejection and inadequate or inappropriate modeling of behavior.