For a parent, there are few things more frightening than the thought of one's child or a close family member becoming the victim of trauma. How do I help them cope? Can I help them cope? What if I'm not even able to cope myself? These are some of the automatic responses that could flash through a parent's mind at the prospect of having to deal with an unexpected, painful or traumatic experience, or with the fear or threat of such trauma becoming a reality. These experiences can be damaging and life-changing on many levels, and in many societies they have indeed become an everyday reality. The chapters in How Children Experience Trauma And How Parents Can Help Them Cope address a number of different types of trauma and they offer sound and tested advice on each one. Among others, they deal with trauma related to crime, to accidents, untimely death and devastating loss. They cover peer group and relationship issues, including bullying and abuse, and each one presents a number of illustrative case studies to help parents relate to and understand what they and their children might be experiencing internally. The authors explain some typical emotional and physiological reactions that may arise during, immediately after and some time after the trauma. They provide parents and caregivers with the theoretical as well as some practical tools to guide their children (and themselves) towards recovery and healing. All trauma, although accompanied by loss - often terrifying and terrible loss - gives us an opportunity to put life into perspective, encourages us to evaluate relationships and possibly to shed that which is toxic or unhelpful and to retain that which is healthy. By presenting the theory and examining the therapeutic options available, Meg Fargher and Helen Dooley draw on their extensive training and experience in this field to help parents and children access the resilience that is part of every human being, allowing them to heal and move on - different but potentially stronger.

This go-to guide for educators helping children who have experienced trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) provides accessible information paired with practical, adaptable strategies.

Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child dyad and the environment of the familyâ€"which includes all primary caregiversâ€"are at the foundation of children's well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them. The impact of parents may never be greater than during the earliest years of life, when a child's brain is rapidly developing and when nearly all of her or his experiences are created and shaped by parents and the family environment. Parents help children build and refine their knowledge and skills, charting a trajectory for their health and well-being during childhood and beyond. The experience of parenting also impacts parents themselves. For instance, parenting can enrich and give focus to parents' lives; generate stress or calm; and create any number of emotions, including feelings of happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and anger. Parenting of young children today takes place in the context of significant ongoing developments. These include: a rapidly growing body of science on early childhood, increases in funding for programs and services for families, changing demographics of the U.S. population, and greater diversity of family structure. Additionally, parenting is increasingly being shaped by technology and increased access to information about parenting. Parenting Matters identifies parenting knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with positive developmental outcomes in children ages 0-8; universal/preventive and targeted strategies used in a variety of settings that have been effective with parents of young children and that support the identified knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and barriers to and facilitators for parents' use of practices that lead to healthy child outcomes as well as their participation in effective programs and services. This report makes recommendations directed at an array of stakeholders, for promoting the wide-scale adoption of effective programs and services for parents and on areas that warrant further research to inform policy and practice. It is meant to serve as a roadmap for the future of parenting policy, research, and practice in the United States.

Understand the different types of upsets and traumas your child may experience—and learn how to teach them how to be resilient, confident, and even joyful The number of anxious, depressed, hyperactive and withdrawn children is staggering—and still growing! Millions have experienced bullying, violence (real or in the media), abuse or sexual molestation. Many other kids have been traumatized from more “ordinary” ordeals such as terrifying medical procedures, accidents, loss and divorce. Trauma-Proofing Your Kids sends a lifeline to parents who wonder how they can help their worried and troubled children now. It offers simple but powerful tools to keep children safe from danger and to help them “bounce back” after feeling scared and overwhelmed. No longer will kids have to be passive prey to predators or the innocent victims of life’s circumstances. In addition to arming parents with priceless protective strategies, best-selling authors Dr. Peter A. Levine and Maggie Kline offer an antidote to trauma and a recipe for creating resilient kids no matter what misfortune has besieged them. Trauma-Proofing Your Kids is a treasure trove of simple-to-follow “stress-busting,” boundary-setting, sensory/motor-awareness activities that counteract trauma’s effect on a child’s body, mind and spirit. Including a chapter on how to navigate the inevitable difficulties that arise during the various ages and stages of development, this ground-breaking book simplifies an often mystifying and complex subject, empowering parents to raise truly confident and joyful kids despite stressful and turbulent times.

Childhood traumas range widely in their severity and impact. A car accident, an earthquake or flood, being attacked by a dog, undergoing a frightening medical treatment?all are distinctly different events yet all provoke common symptoms of psychological trauma. These symptoms may include fearfulness, nightmares, and dramatic behavioral or personality changes. And parental anxiety over changes in a child can, in turn, complicate the healing process. Children and Trauma teaches parents and professionals about the effects of such ordeals on children and offers a blueprint for restoring a child's sense of safety and balance. Cynthia Monahon, a child psychologist who specializes in the treatment of psychological trauma, offers hope and reassurance for parents. She suggests straightforward ways to help kids through tough times, and also describes in detail the warning signs that indicate a child needs professional help. Monahon helps adults understand psychological trauma from a child's point of view and explores the ways both parents and professionals can help children heal.

Helping Children Cope with Trauma bridges theory and practice in examining emerging approaches to enhancing resilience and treating traumatised children. Adopting a child-centred perspective, it highlights the importance of the synergy between individual, family, community and social interventions for recovery from post-traumatic stress. Consisting of chapters by an international range of contributors, the book is presented in three sections, reflecting the ecological circles of support that facilitate healthy development in the face of traumatic circumstances. Section 1, Individual, addresses the impact of exposure to trauma and loss on post-traumatic adaptation, focusing on biological aspects, attachment patterns, emotion regulation and aggressive behaviour in children. Section 2, Family, looks at the concept of family resilience, the impact of trauma on playfulness in toddlers and parents, innovative models for working with children traumatised by war, domestic violence and poverty and describes the challenges faced by refugee families in the light of intergenerational transmission of trauma. Section 3, Community, broadly explores the concept of community resilience and preparedness, the centrality of the school in the community during times of war and conflict, post-traumatic distress and resilience in diverse cultural contexts and the impact of trauma work on mental health professionals who live and work in shared traumatic realities. The book concludes with a theoretical discussion of the concept of Survival Mode as an organisng principle for understanding post-traumatic phenomena. Helping Children Cope with Trauma will provide mental health professionals, child welfare workers, educators, child development experts and researchers with a thorough understanding of the needs of children after trauma and how those needs may best be met.