[Tricountydirectorsgroup] Resources to help chidlren deal with trauma

Wed Dec 19 08:16:57 CST 2012

I have been and will be out of the office for vacation until after Christmas but I am in the office today, so I really wanted to write you all while I am here.

I am sure that you were as grief-stricken as we were at the tragic news related to the Sandy Hook Elementary School. I thought of all of you as I was glued in horror to the news last Friday. I know how much you love children and I was sure that you were distressed and hurting.  It is unthinkable and has created a heavy heart in all of us. If you are like me, you wish you could do something to help and you want to ensure that the children in your family and your program never have to go through what the children of Newtown are now enduring.

I am attaching a few resources that you might want to share with parents who may have preschool or older children asking questions.  The Sesame Street one is, of course geared for youngest ones.

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Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers
http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/talkingviolence.pdf

Here for Each Other
http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1110032941273-201/HereForEachOther_vEng2012.pdf

Talking to Children about Disasters
http://drbeckerschutte.visibli.com/share/he23Ln

Age related Reactions to a Traumatic Event
http://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/age_related_reactions_to_a_traumatic_event.pdf

Below is an excerpt from a Blog Post in the Huffington Post that you might find useful as well:
What can we do to support children in the direct aftermath of a traumatic event?
An international consortium of trauma experts has identified the five essential actions to direct us in what we all do to help survivors after a mass trauma<http://focus.psychiatryonline.org/data/Journals/FOCUS/1838/foc00209000221.pdf>. These actions apply to both children and adults:
1. Promote a sense of safety. Make sure survivors feel as comfortable as possible, and reassure them that they are safe now (provided that they are really safe).
2. Promote calming. For survivors who are overwhelmed by emotions, help them learn to breathe slowly -- with an emphasis on breathing out -- and to be aware of their body and surroundings.
3. Promote a sense of self and community effectiveness. Survivors need to be helped to return to taking control over their own lives and decision making. Taking up normal routines as soon as possible is a fundamental rule of post-disaster responses.
4. Promote connectedness. Social support is one of the most robust predictors of recovery. Help children and families turn to those they care for and trust to receive both emotional and practical support.
5. Instill hope. Most people, children and adults are resilient and will eventually recover from a traumatic event. Survivors who feel confident about their capacity to recover are more likely to experience a good outcome.
Based on these five essential actions, the National Center for PTSD and the NCTSN have developed and supported the use of Psychological First Aid (PFA)<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-l-katz-md/sandy-mental-health_b_2240907.html> by mental health professionals and first responders.
How you can you talk about the shooting with children who were not there
With the extraordinary high levels of media coverage of this shooting, we expect that many children throughout the U.S. and internationally will become aware of this tragedy. Parents, teachers and other responsible adults will surely encounter questions about safety, even the meaning of death. Responding starts with letting children know that they are safe.
For example, young children may have difficulty understanding that repeated television coverage is not a new shooting. For this reason alone, you will want to limit children's media exposure and answer their questions in an open and honest manner, without using frightening language. For young children, it may be helpful to explain death with analogies -- for example, as if they recently broke a toy that could not be fixed. The National Association for School Psychologists has a well-done brochure<http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/talkingviolence.pdf> about talking with children about violence.
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I hope that these resources are of some assistance to you and your families as they try to reassure children that they are safe. Hug them all for us too, will you?
On another note, please accept our sincere wishes for all of you to have the most blessed holiday, surrounded by loved ones. Your 2013 calendar/holiday greeting will be on its way as soon as we get them from the printer.
>From us to you, happy holidays!
Lorraine

~Is there someone you know who makes a difference in the lives of our children?  Nominate your favorite "Friend of Children" for one of our awards and show your appreciation~
http://www.mycccc.org/nomination%20form.htm

Lorraine Kinney-Kitchen, Director
Child Care Council
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County                      [CCE Logo1]
121 Second Street
Oriskany, N.Y.  13424
Phone: (315) 223-7850 X223<tel:%28315%29%20223-7850%20X223>
Fax: (315) 223-7855<tel:%28315%29%20223-7855>

Website: www.mycccc.org<http://www.mycccc.org/>

PLEASE NOTE MY NEW EMAIL ADDRESS!!
Email: lmk23 at cornell.edu<mailto:lmk23 at cornell.edu>

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