Traumatic
events like the crash of Asiana Flight 214 can be difficult for any
child to comprehend, and explaining these tragedies to young children
can be a daunting task for parents.
Dr. Prakash Masand, CEO of Global Medical Education
(GME), an online medical education resource that provides timely,
unbiased, evidence-based medical education and advice, and a faculty
member of the Department of Psychiatry at the Columbia University
Medical Center in New York, says while these conversations can be
difficult, they are necessary for the mental health and well- being of
your children.
His advice to make it easier for parents:
· Ask questions and be supportive
– Never assume your child fully understands tragic events. Children
have wild imaginations and have a hard time sorting their emotions out
during a tragedy. Ask direct questions like, “what are you feeling” and
“what’s bothering you” to fully understand what’s going through their
mind. Never ridicule or make fun of a child’s feelings and always offer
support.
· Encourage children to express feelings – This can be done through talking, drawing, playing or whatever means makes the child more comfortable.
· Honesty pays
– explain to your children that although a plane crash is rare,
unfortunately it does happen from time to time. Put it into perspective
for your child by showing them just how many planes take off and land
safely everyday around the world, and explain to them that pilots and
flight crews undergo extensive amounts of training.
· Remain calm
– Children love to mimic the behaviors of their parents. The way adults
react to events is often the way the child perceives and reacts to the
event so try and stay calm.
· Maintain a child’s routine
– After a traumatic event, stick to your child’s normal routine. Go to
sleep and wake up at the same time, eat meals at the same time, and
engage in every activity you usually do. Ignoring a child’s routine
after tragedy will make him or her feel more anxious.
· Reinforce a sense of security - Over the next few days, spend a little extra time with your child to reinforce feelings of safety and security.
· Recognize a real phobia vs. a simple fear
– Most children are afraid of one thing or another and most of them
outgrow these simple fears. When a child has a real phobia, you want to
look for signs of obsessive behaviors and thoughts, avoidance
behaviors, recurring dreams/nightmares and being unable to become
excited about something that should be fun. This is when parents should
consider professional help.
No comments:
Post a Comment