When a family is hit with trauma, it can be difficult to know how the youngest and most vulnerable members may be affected. Young children often do not have the words to express how they are feeling, or may act out in ways that are unexpected.
Fortunately, many resources are available to help families experiencing a crisis, and help young children work through negative emotions. The book “Once I Was Very, Very, Scared” By Chandra Ghosh Ippen, can help children see the different ways one might react after experiencing a trauma, and discover healthy ways to cope. Check out the PDF of the book at https://piploproductions.com/stories/once/
Parents and care providers might find this resource from the Early Trauma Treatment Network useful. It contains a list of ideas for how to help a child heal after a traumatic event, following the acronym SAFETY.
Safety – Focus on safety first.
Allow expression of feelings
Follow your child’s lead
Enable your child to tell the story of what happened during and after the crisis event
Ties – Reconnect with supportive people, community, culture and rituals
Your Child Needs You! This is the most important thing to remember.
For the complete list, click the following link
https://www.nctsn.org/sites/de...ng_children_heal.pdf
Want to become a part of the National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence? Visit NPEIV.org for more information
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