Written by: Serenity Henderson March 24, 2021
Many adults try to ignore the fact that young children can indeed remember things that happen too and in front of them during there adolescence. Some adults may believe because their child might not be able to talk or fully comprehend things, that they don’t what’s going on. Children can and will still be effected by those bad experiences. That trauma can stay in their subconscious or even conscious memory for the rest of their lives. Here are some S.A.F.E.T.Y tips that you can start implementing to heal your young wounded child.
S. Show love : Hold your child or let them stay close to you. Do familiar things like siding a song you both like or reading them a story. Keep them away from frightening images or movies. Have a predictable routine, at least for bedtime. Leave them with familiar people when you go away. Start telling them where you are going and/or at least when you’ll come back and come back when they expect to build trust.
A. Allow emotions to flow : Help your child name how they feel and make sure they know its okay to feel that way. Give them alternate actions they can take when behaving badly, for example if your child hits you when they get mad tell them ” its okay to be mad but it is not okay to hit me ” maybe have them count to 20 instead. Remember difficult feelings cause for difficult behavior. Young children often behave badly when they are worried or scared. Help your child find other ways to express negative emotions by helping them find a hobby. For instance, if your child tends to close off and freeze up maybe have them try drawing or if your child is more aggressive when triggered, have them join boxing or karate.
F. Follow your Childs lead ( its their world you just live in it ) : Different children need different things. Some children need to run around, others need to be held. Listen to your child and watch their behavior.
E. Enable your child that its okay to tell his/her story : Having a story and expressing it helps the child make sense of what happened to them. When it gets difficult they young child may need breaks like running around, eating a snack or being held. Get support for yourself if it becomes too hard to deal with or too hard to comprehend.
T. Talk and reach out to supportive people, communities and other young children who may have similar experiences : If you belong to a group, for example like a church. Try reconnecting with them. You can help your child best when you take care of yourself so get support when you need it. Simple things like a bedtime story, a song, a prayer, or a family tradition can give both you and your child hope.
Y. Your child needs you : Reassure your child that you love them and that they are always supported by you. It is common for children to worry about being away from you. Just being with them even if you cant fix things helps them tremendously. If you ever have to leave for a long period of time, if possible leave them with something of yours, or a picture of you that the child can have.
Each child needs and has the right to grow up protected from misuse and disregard, and caring foster parents offer kids support and dependability when they need it most. At Family Services of America, we spend a significant amount of time in personalizing plans for all children admitted into our services to get them ready for their next transition. We cooperate with our foster parents to provide services, including therapeutic foster care, adoption and outpatient Services. Quality care and services you can trust. Contact us today on how you can become a foster parent. ,https://www.familiesofusa.com
