October seems to be flying by and the holidays are fast approaching!
Holidays can be stressful for families. It is common for children who have experienced trauma to regress and return to old negative behaviors. This can be frustrating and confusing for both parents and the child experiencing this. Children sometimes have difficulty connecting how they felt to their behaviors. It is important to help the child do his own connecting and writing is a valuable tool. Writing takes place in the cortex of the brain and helps children develop a stronger cause and effect thinking. So when something happens put your arm around your child and ask them to write answers to 5 questions
1) What happened?
2) What were you feeling?
3) How did you handle it?
4) How did it work out for you?
5) What could you have done differently (I usually have them come up with 3 possible things they could have done).
Now sometimes you have to break up the questions to one at a time particularly for younger children (age or emotional age) and don’t forget to give them a hug between each question. They need that assurance that they are loved and you are helping them.
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