Parents, caregivers, and other caring adults play a crucial role when helping children cope after they experienced a traumatic event. It is important for us adults to make sure that children with trauma feel safe in their environment as they go through their emotions of fear and grief. Here are some simple tips on helping children recover from their traumatic experience:
- Act calm and do not discuss your personal anxieties with your children or when they are around.
- Maintain routines as much as possible and try to have regular bedtimes.
- Be understanding that children cope in many different ways and let them know it is okay to express their feelings in a healthy way.
- It is okay to answer “I don’t know.” It is okay to not have all the answers to their questions. What is most important is to accept their feelings and be there for them.
Below are available resources for you or your kids/students in need of mental health assistance. Click here to see our full list of services.
- Youth Crisis Mobile Response – 1-833-885-2273
- Reach Out Hotline – 1-800-522-9054
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255
- Crisis Text Line – Text CRISIS to 741741
For more tips, visit https://childmind.org/guide/helping-children-cope-traumatic-event/.