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Responding to Children in Crisis
October 31, 2012
The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.
-C.S. Lewis
-C.S. Lewis
For example, the booklet offers this advice for teachers:
"The teacher’s role is central: Preschoolers who have been through the trauma of a hurricane will rely on you to be their secure base. They may cling to you or stay close as they try to cope with their new situation. Try to get back to normal activities as soon as possible and don’t focus on the hurricane to the exclusion of other things....
"Don’t be afraid to talk about what happened, and be patient with their repetitive questions. Let children take the lead. If a child mentions the subject, listen, talk about it, answer questions, and provide comfort and support. Don’t dwell on details or allow the topic to dominate everything you do in the classroom. Find out what children think and feel. Answer questions in language that the child can understand easily. Give honest answers and use accurate vocabulary....
"Be ready to discuss difficult questions. Talk to other adults about how you might respond. Keep reminding children that you will do everything possible to keep them safe. Remain calm and reassuring and emphasize safety. Children sense how you feel. If they sense that you are upset, disorganized, confused, or anxious, they may avoid talking about the trauma, and that will make their recovery more difficult. Share with children ways you handle things that upset you, e.g., listen to soft music; go for a walk; take slow, deep breaths. Children need physical reassurance that you can provide by sitting close together, offering hugs and smiles, and holding hands."
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Comments (6)
Displaying 5 of 6 Comments [ View all ]Beth Shalomk
Overland Park, KS, United States
This was a good article on helping children cope. We are in the midwest and have not been affected but I think it would have been helpful for adults who are also feeling traumatized to have given them specific suggestions of what to say.
Mira Mesa Presbyterian preschool
San diego, ca, United States
Thanks for presenting thought provoking and professional articles.
Empire State College
Port Ewen, NY, United States
After the oil spill and all the media coverage I observed children at the beach making 'oil spills' as the dirty water from the sand entered the clean waters of the lake. Since media show the same image over and over again, hype up their voices and concern, children take this in. Outdoor play, free open ended materials like sand, water, mud, leaves, grass and nature can help calm them even though they (& we) don't realize that this has impacted them.
princeton, west virginia, United States
Children are our future .What we instill in them is there future . I love working with children .
Annandale, VA, United States
I think you should have mentioned that there are two booklets - one that addresses infants and toddlers and the one for preschool children - even though the link takes you to the page where both booklets are available. Readers who work with infants and toddlers may be less inclined to click on the link because the article makes it sound like there is only one resource - and it's only focused on preschoolers.
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