How to Help Your Child Overcome Trauma

Traumatic events such as car crashes, unexpected diagnoses, or death can leave a lasting impact on the minds of individuals. Children, in particular, are more vulnerable to trauma. They often take more time to get over it, feel sad, behave differently, feel confused, have problems sleeping, become quiet or even blame themselves. Sometimes, they have physical symptoms like stomach aches, headaches, or loss of appetite.

If you see any of these symptoms in your child, then you need to know how to help your child overcome trauma. Here are a few tips that might help.



Talking and Listening

It is an innovative idea to talk to your child about the traumatic event and answer their questions. You should explain the traumatic event in detail and tell them why it happened to ensure that the children don’t blame themselves.

Handing the Reminders

Sometimes, a traumatic event can have a long-lasting impact on a child’s mind and make them afraid of things. For instance, if a child was involved in a fire accident, they might get afraid when they see fire, even on a gas stove. In such cases, you need to explain to them that their fears are completely normal and help them overcome those fears.



Establishing Routine

Doing routine things like getting up, going to school, or doing homework are a few things that can help your child to overcome a traumatic event. In addition to following a schedule, make sure your child gets healthy food, joins a playgroup, and follows an activity or passion that they used to follow before.

How to Help a Toddler or Preschooler to Get Over Traumatic Events

As toddlers and preschoolers cannot express their feelings well by using words, they need more care and attention after a traumatic event. You need to know that younger kids express their feelings through play or by unwanted behavior like tantrums.



Here are a few things you can do to help

·       When you think that the child is getting sad, you can distract them by using a song, story, or fun games.

·       If you think your child is withdrawn, you can use play to explore their emotions. For instance, if you can ask your child to hug a teddy not to feel alone.

·       Sometimes, children don’t want to be separated from their parents. In such cases, you need to explain that you are going away for work, and you will stay safe as the danger is not there.

·       If your child is unable to do basic tasks like using the toilet, you need to remind or re-train them while keeping in mind that it’s perfectly normal. Even sucking on the thumb or wetting the bed is normal.

·       In case the traumatic event is getting media attention, ensure that your child doesn’t see such news stories.

Final Words

Recovering after a traumatic event takes time, and you or your child don’t have to do it alone. You can ask for help if you think you need it. If you think that things are getting out of hand, talk to your child’s GP. They might refer you to local services and professionals.

Here are some more tips on parenting a child who has experienced trauma

Read this to know a few ways to heal your childhood trauma

by Shruti , CNS Canadian News Source


Source:

https://raisingchildren.net.au/preschoolers/connecting-communicating/coping-with-trauma/trauma-support-for-children

 

 

 

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