Helping Children Cope with Trauma
18 October 2010
Please find below some tips for helping children cope with trauma, a number of parents are still reporting their children are struggling with sleep, have reverted to baby like habits and so on. After shocks don't help this.
One of our centres has the most amazing picture on its wall of a photo of a child's painted interpretation of the earthquake on the Richter scale.
The children at another centre had done 'turtle safe' only 2 weeks before, practicing how to curl up like a turtle. The centre had pictures of earthquakes and had done a project 2 weeks before! Another centre is learning how to build bridges, build a school because 'their' one busted.
Children described the event in words and pictures including:
"My house was dancing"
"there was a roaring dragon and i had to get under the table"
"my belly wobbled - it was just like a train going by"
"If you get a big after shock you must get under the table real quick."
We thought you may be interested in the below tips on helping children with earth quake trauma especially with the after shocks reminding children and re-opening wounds.
Helping children and adults cope with a traumatic incident