We naturally worry about keeping our children safe and try to do this by childproofing the sharp edges of furniture, securing them in their car seats and monitoring their digital activities. However, as unavoidable as preventive care, sometimes our best efforts aren’t enough and something we desperately tried to avoid occurs. A horrific accident at home or a scary trip to the hospital may upend a family’s world in an instant. Your children may feel the physical pain, but the emotional pain and the lingering fear could be with them long after they heal.
Recognize the Signs of Emotional Trauma
If a child has undergone trauma, it is important that caregivers and parents take note of any new behaviors. While adults might be prone to anxiety and vigilance, children will express emotional stress through noticeable changes to their routines which may include:
- Regressive behaviors like bedwetting, extreme clinginess or thumbsucking.
- Sleep disruptions, nightmares or anxiety around bedtime.
- Extreme tantrums, out-of-nowhere frustration and overwhelming sadness over small issues are also a signal for help.
- Avoiding situations related to their trauma such as getting into a car after a car accident.
Providing a Sense of Security
When children experience trauma, they often have a difficult time feeling safe in the world around them. To assist them to return to feeling secure, make an effort to create stability by maintaining a normal schedule. If at all possible, maintain meal and bed times, and even family rituals such as bedtime stories or movie night, as consistent as you can.
Be accessible and allow your children to express their feelings they may have about what has happened without them feeling pressured to do so. They will want to feel that their emotions are acknowledged.
Manage the Logistics Following Trauma
When parents have suffered trauma through an accident that impacts their child, it can be very difficult to juggle the everyday tasks of managing their household while also making sure to have the time and emotional resources available to support their children all while dealing with the administration and stress surrounding an accident.. For this reason it can be helpful to enlist the assistance of an experienced legal team that can manage the insurance and administrative details of an accident.
TonaLaw personal injury lawyers will be able to handle the time-consuming insurance claims process and any other legal burdens, so that parents are free to care for their children. Delegating the legal and administrative process will ensure that parents aren’t bringing their anxiety home to their children.
Modeling Resilience
While it’s normal for parents to show vulnerability, healthy coping mechanisms such as deep breathing, taking breaks, and expressing gratitude will teach your children to deal with a traumatic incident.
It’s okay for a child to be afraid and even angry about an accident, but when they see the adults around them displaying their own emotional strength, children will learn that while trauma can affect them, they do have a sense of resilience. Healing is a time consuming process but with the right support your children can deal with trauma more easily.
