Helping Children Cope
A few resources:
UNICEF: 6 ways parents can support their kids through the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak
WHO: Helping Children Cope with Stress during the COVID-19 outbreak
Caring for a Child with Cerebral Palsy
Whether a child has personally experienced trauma, has merely seen the event on television or has heard it discussed by adults, it is important for parents and teachers to be informed and ready to help if reactions to stress begin to occur.
Children may respond to disaster by demonstrating fears, sadness or behavioral problems. Younger children may return to earlier behavior patterns, such as bed-wetting, sleep problems and separation anxiety. Older children may also display anger, aggression, school problems, dangerous risk taking, or withdrawal. Some children who have only indirect contact with the disaster but witness it on television may develop distress.
Suggestions to help reassure children include the following:
Personal contact is reassuring. Hug and touch your children.
Calmly provide factual information about the recent events and current plans for insuring their safety along with recovery plans.
Encourage your children to talk about their feelings by using a scaling thermometer of 1 (low) to 10 (high). For younger children, pay attention to what they are communicating through unstructured play.
Spend extra time with your children such as at bedtime.
Re-establish your daily routine for work, school, play, meals, and rest.
Involve your children by giving them specific chores to help them feel they are helping to restore family and community life.
Praise and recognize responsible behavior. Understand that your children will have a range of reactions.
Encourage your children to help create or update your family disaster or crisis plan.
If you have tried to create a reassuring environment by following the steps above, but your child continues to exhibit inconsolable distress, if the reactions worsen over time, or if they cause interference with daily behavior at school, at home, or with other relationships, it may be appropriate to talk to a professional. You can get professional help from the child’s primary care physician, a mental health provider specializing in children’s needs, or a member of the clergy.
Source: Adapted from Ready.gov https://www.ready.gov/coping-with-disaster