Children and Trauma: Child Care Tips

Dr. Smith — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:25:42 +0000

Children in traumatic times suffer a range of emotions, from guilt, insignificance and grief to powerlessness, anger and confusion. At such times, they look at the adults around them for tips on coping with trauma. In the aftermath of a natural disaster, children returning to the routine of child care are comforted and reassured. As far as possible, maintaining the established routine helps children cope with trauma and childhood PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Help Children Coping with Trauma

With your knowledge of the children, identify those that have been more affected than others, whether materially or emotionally. Children who have lost parents, siblings or family members, as well as children who are highly sensitive, children who come from broken families and children who have witnessed death or injury are at risk of developing more serious complications from trauma. Keep an eye on them for signs of childhood PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and if necessary, refer their parents to counselors or child psychologists for help.

Compile a tracking sheet of all children, complete with phone numbers and addresses, especially those who have moved to new accommodation.
Pay visits to the families of those children who are absent from school either because they have lost someone or because their homes have been destroyed; it shows the child that part of their lives is still waiting for them. If possible, allow classmates and friends to call or write notes to the child to help them cope with trauma.
Provide community services through the school for parents and children. Creating a list of agencies or organizations that can help with food, shelter, finances and insurance will benefit families that have suffered.
If possible, increase staffing to provide additional care after hours and on weekends. This time will allow parents who are dealing with children and trauma, and work on re-building their lives and homes for the children.
Children returning to schools or day care will meet with other children and naturally want to discuss their emotions or experiences. If teachers or child carers are able to, they can conduct guided sessions in which children are allowed to express themselves and gain support from peers. During these sessions, children discover that their friends share similar questions or feelings, helping them cope with trauma.
Children like to feel useful and responsible. Involve them in tasks that directly contribute to the restoration efforts of the rest of the community, or in making Get Well Soon cards for people in hospitals.
Reading books or telling stories about similarly affected areas or people teaches children how to deal with the trauma, and shows how others have recovered.
Children often suffer from survivor guilt. They feel guilty that they lived while others died, that their families or houses were safe while those of their friends or people they’ve seen on TV have lost everything. Address issues like this in the third person if necessary during talks as many children keep such feelings to themselves.

Understanding Childhood Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can affect children or adults after they have suffered a traumatic event. While parents of children may be too busy rebuilding their lives and homes to notice, child care professionals have a more trained eye to watch children for behavioral problems, and can help with childhood PTSD. Symptoms include feelings of anxiety, re-experiencing the event, feeling it will happen again, avoiding talking of it or avoiding reminders of it, behavioral issues, sleeping and eating disturbances, regression in behavior, numbness to emotion, inability to concentrate, being easily startled, and withdrawal from family, friends and surroundings. If these signs are present, refer the parents to a medical professional or counselor for help.

References:

Helping Children after a Natural Disaster – National Association of School Psychologists
Nurturing Children After Natural Disasters – ChildCare Aware
What You Might Feel in a Disaster – FEMA for Kids
Helping Children Cope with Disaster – FEMA

Parenting Children After Natural Disasters

Dr. Smith — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:39:04 +0000

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, adults find it hard to rationalize and accept the catastrophe. For children, coping with trauma is enhanced by their sense of powerlessness and dependency. Often, an entire area or community has suffered destruction and death during this event, making even the comfort of normalcy impossible for children. At this point, when children turn to them for cues, parents and teachers or child carers have a huge role to play in helping children coping with the trauma of a natural disaster.

Parents, Children and Trauma

Parents are the first source of comfort for children after a natural disaster. Even children who seem well-adjusted and independent before the incident will need help coping with trauma. It will be difficult for parents dealing with children and trauma, as well as relocation, loss, grief and emotional turbulence themselves. However children may be suffering mild trauma or childhood PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and may be unable to deal with it.

Stay calm and show them that you are in control as much as possible. Children in trauma will look to you for behavioral cues in situations that they have not faced before.
Repeat to them that things will be better soon, that you are all together, that you love them, and that everything will be back to normal soon. Physical reassurances are equally important; demonstrating your affection towards them and your partner/spouse helps them coping with the trauma.
Encourage them to talk about their feelings. Share your own feelings as well, but within limits. Do not introduce new reasons for them to worry about.
Children coping with trauma feel that they are reacting unnaturally. Assure them that their feelings are normal reactions and that everyone has them.
Reinforce their sense of strength and ability to ‘beat the situation’. Remind them of a time in their own lives when they showed strength or determination so they feel confident of themselves. Point out that while your family and others suffered, you and the community are working on bringing things back to normal.
As far as possible, help children to meet their friends and peers. While it may not be easy due to relocation or temporary accommodations after an event, children under stress and trauma who can interact with other children find it easier to recover.
Be prepared for new behavioral problems or patterns. Children may even develop imaginary friends to help them deal with the situation.
Draw children out of themselves by allocating tasks for helping the family or the community. When a natural disaster takes place, children can feel insignificant or as if they have no control. Putting them in charge of a task makes them feel useful and employs them constructively. Consider getting together a group of children to work on a simple project like cleaning up a garden.
If your family has been shifted to a new accommodation for temporary use, take items that the child knows and loves.
Talking to children about death is an important part of healing. If you have lost a family member or loved one, this is critical.
Allow children to return to their normal routine as soon as possible. School, day care centers and classes will provide a welcome sense of security for children suffering trauma or childhood PTSD.
Remember that a child does not have to actually be part of the incident to suffer the trauma of it. Watching it on TV or hearing about it can induce a milder form of anxiety or confusion.
It is important that you take care of yourself too. If you feel you need help, talk to a medical professional.

Childhood PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

For children, PTSD is a response that could arise after a traumatic event has taken place. Symptoms include feelings of anxiety, re-experiencing the event, feeling it will happen again, avoiding talking of it or avoiding reminders of it, behavioral issues, sleeping and eating disturbances, regression in behavior, numbness to emotion, inability to concentrate, being easily startled, and withdrawal from family, friends and surroundings.

If parents notice these symptoms, it is advisable to talk to a medical professional for help.