Helping Children with Fear and Loss

Yet again, a community is facing devastation: at least 19 children and 2 adults lost to gun violence, in the wake of recent racially motivated mass killings, not to mention the violence in Ukraine, Afghanistan and elsewhere, and the losses felt throughout the pandemic. As we grapple with shared pain and seek shared solutions, it’s vital to respond to children’s grief and fears. "And now, on top of all those already existing pandemic-related chronic stressors, many children and families may be overwhelmed with the added fear of sending their children to school," said Katherine Williams, a child and adolescent psychologist and professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego in an LA Times article.

Among other resources, consider the following:

Helping Children with Tragic Events in the News – pbs.org
Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting – American Psychological Association
Gun Violence Resources from the Society of Pediatric Nurses– Society of Pediatric Nurses

Our hearts go out to each one of you as well. To support you and your team as you support others, Exchange Press is giving away our Exchange Reflections on "Self Compassion," through the end of this week. In the face of traumatic events, self-awareness and self-care are vital. Jessica Landers, in a Harvard Graduate School of Education article on "Helping Teachers Manage the Weight of Trauma," notes, "While centered on supporting the emotional care and wellbeing of students, trauma-informed schools, by their nature, foster communities where educators have the understanding and tools to recognize and address secondary traumatic stress in themselves and each other."

With gratitude for all you do for others, we invite you make time to care for yourselves, too.