Healing the Wounds of Trauma

Families should talk together about the bad things that happened. Each child should have the chance to say what they felt when the bad things happened. It is quite possible that some of the other children who are not showing that they have problems in fact do, and they should have the chance to share these. It is also good for parents to talk with each child individually. Younger children are often better able to express things through play than by talking. When children reenact a bad event in their play, it helps themwork out the pain they experienced. Parents should ask them about what they are playing and how they feel about it. Then they can go from talking about the role-play to talking about the child’s experience. Another way to help children talk about their pain is through draw- ing. Parents can give them paper and pencils or chalk, or if these are not available, have them draw in the sand. If they don’t know what to draw, ask them to draw a man, then their family, then where they used to live. Ask them to explain their drawing to you. Remember that the goal is to help them talk about their pain, not to teach them.

If children have bad dreams, explain thatmany times people dream about bad things that have happened to them. Encourage them to talk about their dreams. Ask them if they think their dream could be related to something that happened to them. C. We need to tell children the truth about the situation. A child needs to understand the truth of what has happened, in ways appropriate for their age. They should be told whether or not there is still danger and whether or not someone has died. Knowing the

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How can we help children who have experienced bad things?