Trauma | First 5 LA: Parents & Family

Building Resilience to Trauma is especially important for families to manage the stress of very tough times. Why? It’s hard enough for adults to cope with traumatic events or situations. When infants and children experience serious stress, it can hurt growth and development and impact relationships and ways of coping throughout life. By using a supportive, strengths-based approach, parents can help build resilience to manage difficult experiences or situations--for themselves and their children.

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Q. We had a house fire, lost most of our possession, and are now living with relatives. It’s been hard on everyone, including my three year old, who is misbehaving constantly. What can I do to help?

For children, testing limits is a way of expressing feelings and seeking reassurance when scary or difficult things have happened. Help your child process his or her feelings by helping to name them. For example, he or she may feel very angry about losing toys or being unsure about the future. Being able to put those feelings into words—or playing a game of acting out different feelings—will help. Reassuring your child that this situation won’t last forever, and that you are there for him or her is also helpful. As much as possible, re-create routines and traditions, sing familiar songs, read favorite books, set limits with patience and understanding, and show affection, empathy, and love.

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