Coping with Tragedy

Everyone here at JELV joins the nation in expressing our sadness at the horrific events that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT on Friday, December 14, 2012. Our thoughts and prayers are are with all affected by this tragedy.

Most children are resilient and will cope well with the support of their families, teachers, friends and other caring adults. However, young children may have particular difficulty understanding and describing their feelings and emotions. Below are some tips published by the National Association of Psychologists to help children deal with the aftermath of the recent events.

1.) Model calm and control
2.) Reassure children they are safe
3.) Remind them that trustworthy people are in charge (emergency workers, police, doctors, etc.)
4.) Let children know it is OK to feel upset
5.) Observe children's emotional state, and look for changes in their school and home behavior
6.) Tell children the truth; don't pretend the event has not occurred or that it is not serious. Children are smart. They will be more worried if they think you are too afraid to tell them what is happening.
7.) Stick to the facts; Don't embellish or speculate about what has happened and what might happen. Don't dwell on the scope of the tragedy.
8.) Keep your explanations developmentally appropriate; young children need brief, simple information that should be balanced with reassurances that the daily structures of their lives will not change
9.) Monitor your own stress level; Don't ignore your own feelings of anxiety and grief. Talking to friends, family members, religious leaders and mental health counselors can help.
10.) Love on your children! Make time to talk with your children about school and family happenings, stay close to your children and offer lots of snuggles, limit your child's television viewing of these events, spend extra time reading or playing quiet games with your children before bed, and as always, make sure your children get appropriate sleep, exercise and nutrition.

For questions or concerns related to mental health, please contact one of the Guidance Counselors, Grace Newsome or Jessica Dodgen, or School Psychologists, Brittany Gray or Amber Bruner.

Sincerely,

Jessica Dodgen and Grace Newsome, JELV Guidance Counselors