On Wednesday, January 6, we watched as Capitol Hill was stormed by rioters. Again, as parents, therapists, and educators, we were tasked with the daunting job of how to help our kids through this. It has been ten months of COVID-19. Ten months of adapting the ways we connect, engage, educate, and provide mental health services all while trying to figure out a “new normal.” What I have come to know is that this journey is not a linear path. It is one of ups-and-downs, week-to-week, and now month-to-month of living and planning. How do we support our children and students while facing so many compounding traumatic events?
When we are faced with unprecedented times and challenges, it is important to rely on what we know has worked in the past. Reliable interventions and strategies help guide us when we are practicing our therapeutic techniques during difficult times. Helping to restore feelings of chaos and increase a sense of safety and stability within their daily routines, needs to occur to minimize the impact of short and long-term mental health effects.
Create a safe space in your home or in your office that is free from outside noise, free from external voices and views, and free from expectations. Let them think, feel, and process in their own time. Remember, your child may take time to ask questions or express an emotion. Try not to react. Sit with your own thoughts and feeling. Allow your child to have their own feelings separate of yours. Let them figure it out and create their perspective of the situation. Guide them by asking open-ended questions or respond by saying, “tell me more about that.”
Practical suggestions to help guide you with your child:
1. Limit the amount of TV and news they are watching
2. Keep responses and answers age-specific
3. Include other family members to assist
4. Remember it is ok to admit you don’t know
5. Allow the conversations to take place multiple times
6. Keeping to routines and schedules-promotes safety and stability
7. Incorporate fun and stress relieving activities into your day
8. Collaborate with school personnel or community resources if needed
Perhaps, in light of the recent events, this is a message for all of us to try to regain a sense of functioning in the world, instead of trying to restore what was considered “normal.” Incorporate these practices into your own daily personal and work-life. The sentiments hold true for everyone we encounter.
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