Helping Children To Heal From Traumatic Events; Parents Must Assure Kids They Are Safe

Kids who have experienced traumatic events in their life need to feel safe and loved. Parents want this form of nurturing home to be provided to their children. However, some parents do not understand the effects of trauma on children and they usually get annoyed with their children's behavior and label kids as hard-headed.

Trauma is the emotional response to an event that causes them to harm or threaten their life. Such harm can be physical or emotional or can threaten the child by telling them that they will be the cause of someone's death if they told anyone about it or show them sharp objects that can end one's life. Trauma can be the outcome of multiple incidents over time, per Child Welfare Information Gateway.

Trauma can be caused by abuse may it be physical, sexual, or emotional. The feeling of neglect in the family, being separated from loved ones or bullied, etc. On the other hand, children who live in the welfare system treat it as a traumatic event in their life as they would feel separated from their loved ones or they would feel that someone they loved abandoned them.

Traumatized children would most likely tend to withdraw

After a child experienced trauma, they would need extra support and comfort, thus, parents need to spend time with the traumatic child by allowing them to enjoy things that relaxed them, may it be taking a walk, reading, doing arts, singing, etc.,

The child would become shy around many people considering that they have experienced events that affect them that's why parents need to use kind words to the child and shower them with compliments and praise when they give their best or are doing well. Parents must not be easily annoyed when the child makes a mistake and just teach them how to do it again.

Some kids who experience traumatic events might not be affectionate enough especially when they experienced sexual abuse, they would not let anyone touch them due to their experience, hence, parents must assure them that they are now safe. Comfort the child when they are upset and tell them that what they feel is valid.

According to Better Health, parents must discuss with their children the traumatic event and use words that would make them narrate the event and not scare them. Reassurance is what the children needs, reassure them that what happened was over and they are now safe. Parents must not get tired as the reassurance needs to be reminded repeatedly and over and over again.

Read Also: Children develop PTSD when they 'overthink' their trauma

Seek help from the professionals

Therapy on the other hand allows children to share their feelings and story most safely. In therapy, children would know how to handle what they've been through and would also know coping and calming skills.

Child therapy for trauma is called Traum-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy or TF-CBT. In this therapy, children would soon find their courage and confidence when telling the traumatic event that happened to them. This therapy includes different kinds of play, talk, and learning activities that would heal the child's trauma.

TF-CBT also helps parents as they will receive support from the professionals and would remind them that it's okay to feel upset regarding what their child has been through and they would also get advice on how to help their child heal even at home, per Kids Health.

Related Article: How to Help Children Cope After a Traumatic Event