Providing Support for children
Help establish a predictable routine-school,sports,birthdays,etc.
Don't let [especially young] children watch lots of violent or upsetting things on TV.
Children who have had other trauma or losses may have more intense responses.
Let children be children--they might not want to think or talk about it a lot; it's ok to play
DIFFICULT BUT NORMAL CHILD RESPONSES:
[can be delayed months, even years]
Clinging behavior-refusal to return to school, including shadowing the mother or father around the house
•Persistent fears related to the catastrophe (such as fears about being permanently separated from parents)
•Sleep disturbances such as nightmares, screaming during sleep and bedwetting, persisting more than several days after the event
•Loss of concentration
Irritability
•Jumpiness or being startled easily
•Behavior problems:misbehaving school/home;argumentative behavior in teens
•Physical complaints(stomachaches,headaches,dizziness)for which a physical cause cannot be found
•Withdrawal from family & friends,sadness,listlessness,decreased activity, preoccupation with the events of the disaster
Dealing with Anxiety or feelings of Panic:
Sensory Anchoring-- stop once an hour, or take some minutes where you are,pretend you are from outer space,deep breathe,focus all senses(what does it feel,sound,look,smell like), contemplate, submerse in it. . ..
BALANCE & EMPOWER YOURELF BY SETTING A GOAL EACH DAY IN 5 LIFE AREAS: [make small,pay attention to it,review at day's end]
•Family [read to my child here in the shelter]
•Social [smile/handshake/hug a stranger,tell them a story]
•Spiritual [remember my value is to:be kind,be responible/help]
•Self-Growth [try to learn something new; do a hobby, carve, sing]
•Work [check on coworkers;help with daily chores here]
Dealing with Anxiety:
The Golden Cloud--
Close your eyes, think of darkness,
Think that in the darkness all you see is yourself,
Imagine yourself breathing in,
What you breathe in is a golden light,
Feel it fill your lungs,
Feel it fill your breath,
Imagine that golden light filling all of you,
And slowly breathe out,
Breathe in the golden light again,
feel it fill your lungs,
Feel it fill your breath,
Imagine the golden light filling all of you,
Slowly breathe out. . .
[keep repeating]
Dealing with Anxiety:
Feeling Heavy & Warm--
Close your eyes, dangle your arm off the chair, take a few slow breaths in and out, focus on your hand, notice that it feels heavy, a little bit warm--the more you think about it, the more it feels heavy, heavy and loose and warm, keep breathing slowly and thinking about your hand being heavy and warm and a little bit more loose, relaxed, think these things about your other hand (and then your foot, shoulders, legs, etc.)
children-shootings-terrorism-disaster-helping-families
