Please find below some information sent to our school ELSAs (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants) that you may find useful if your children have questions about the conflict.
If you require any further support or advice, Mrs Vause will happily give you a call and raise this with the Educational Psychology Team at her next meeting.
Talking to children after a frightening event
1.Find out what they know and correct any misconceptions.
Children do hear things on the news, on the playground and they may not fully understand what has happened. Find out what they know and then you are able to explain gently and in an age appropriate way so they can have some understanding of the situation. Encourage questions and answer as honestly as you can without causing distress. Think of the age of the child and their potential level of understanding.
2.Express feelings
Feelings are important. There may be a whole range of feelings around a frightening event from sadness to anxiety to anger. Encourage your child to express how they feel about an event and don’t be scared of expressing your feelings too. Don’t hold back the tears if you feel sad. Children need to see it is ok to let your feelings out. Use drawing or puppets to help children express their feelings.
3.Shield very young children from disturbing images on the TV
There is absolutely no need for children to see scary and frightening images on TV. This is something that does need shielding from your children. They will not understand and it could cause a lot of fear and anxiety. Shielding images and news on TV is not shielding them from what has happened. You can explain that to them in a truthful and age appropriate way.
4. Risk Assessment
Children are often scared that this might happen to them. Look at risks in life and how likely or unlikely things may happen. We just hear about them more on the news so it seems like a real threat and that it might happen anytime.
5. Routines, routines, routines
Keep to your child’s normal routines and don’t change them. Children feel safer when things carry on as normal.
Websites:
BBC newsround Website
Education hub Gov.uk
British Psychological society
