Tips for Parents: Talking With Your Kids About the VT
Anniversary (4/16/08)
As the anniversary of the Virginia
Tech event approaches, your child may hear things at
school or on TV and may exhibit behaviors or reactions
that cause concern. Remember, reassurance is the key to
helping children through a traumatic time. Provide
children with opportunities to talk and to ask questions
about what they are hearing. Keep the following tips in
mind as you talk with your children:
- Answer questions at a level the
child can understand.
- Don’t be afraid to admit that you don’t have all the
answers.
- Help children identify the good things that come out
of tragic events such as heroic actions and the
community pulling together.
- Let kids talk about unrelated fears and concerns.
- Encourage children to express all of their emotions
and help them understand that a wide range of feelings
is normal.
- Let children use play, art, story telling or writing
as a way to express themselves.
- Monitor children’s television watching and, to the
extent possible, watch TV (especially news coverage)
with them.
- Develop a family emergency plan for future incidents.
It may help you and your children feel safer.
- Be willing to just listen.
For more information, please
contact New River Valley Community Services at 961-8400.
Information for the
above article provided by
SAMHSA.
Tips for Teachers: Talking With Your Students About the
VT Anniversary (4/16/08)
As the anniversary of the
Virginia Tech event approaches, your students may be
distracted at school and may be exhibiting behaviors or
reactions that cause concern. As a classroom teacher,
you can play an important role in the healing process of
youth who are affected by a disaster. Help youth cope
by encouraging them to express their experiences and
feelings. Use leading, open-ended questions that
require more than a “yes” or “no” answer, such as:
·
What reminds you of the VT tragedy?
·
What do you do differently since the
disaster?
·
Did/do you dream about the disaster?
·
How do you feel now?
·
What, if anything, would you do
differently if something like this happened again?
As the youth begin to
open up, acknowledge their experiences and reassure them
that what they are feeling is “normal.” Allow youth
with low language skills, shyness or discomfort to be
silent. For students with limited English-language
skills, consider asking for a translator to help the
students express themselves.
Create an atmosphere in
which youth feel comfortable and safe sharing their
experiences and feelings. For younger children, allow
them to use play, art, story telling or writing as a way
to express themselves.
Remember, reassurance is
the key to helping youth through a traumatic time.
If any of your students
show serious signs of distress, consult a school
counselor.
For more information,
please contact New River Valley Community Services at
961-8400.
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