The Meaning of Dreams

My mom has started having recurring dreams. This is the second time she's asked me what they might mean, and last time I did some research on the computer, and couldn't find anything that might apply to an 88-year old great grandmother who doesn't do any childcare. Maybe someone who reads this can help.

Some of these dreams are calm, but many of them are terrifying nightmares. They're all about small children. Most of the time she's looking for the little ones. They're either lost or stolen, and she can't find them. Sometimes she sees them in the distance, but no matter how hard she runs, she can't catch them, and they disappear into the distance. Sometimes she can't see them, but can hear them screaming. She says a few of the dreams have had her chasing the kids, and they're running away from her. She's not angry, she's scared, but the children are afraid of her and they don't understand that she's trying to catch them in order to protect them.

Whenever one of these dreams wakes her up, which is now about two to three times a week, she can't get back to sleep. The first time she mentioned it to me was about six months ago, so I think it's gone on long enough. She won't talk to the doctor about it, because she thinks it's "just dumb." 

Anybody have some ideas I can give her? This has really got her spooked.