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Families Coping with Traumatic Events

The past traumatic events in our country -- terroism, the horrific disaster in our Gulf states with Hurricane Katrina, and other natural disasters -- have prompted many calls from professionals, knowing that Family Information Services has covered issues related to dealing with crises, trauma and death, especially talking to children, in past issues of our monthly “practitioner's journal” which has now been compiled into the Parent & Family Educator's Resource Library.

Below you will find several special reports adapted from articles published in Family Information Services over the past few years when other crises have occurred. Many of the ideas, even though originally written to respond to other types of crises, will be very helpful to you as you talk with children, parents and families about new threats to our security and mental well-being.

(Please feel free to adapt materials as needed.)

Resources developed by members of Family Information Services' Guest Faculty:

• Helping People in Times of Crisis *
• The Experience of Grief and Recovery *
• Grief is Physical *
• Annie Stories: Helping Children Cope with Disaster *
  Note: We are proud to share Doris Brett's special “Annie Story” written for Family Information Services after a natural disaster occurred in our home state of Minnesota (flooding). This document includes instructions for how to create an “Annie Story” and it is easily adapted to any crisis that occurs in a family, a community, nationlly or globally. The concept of “Annie Stories” can be shared with parents, caregivers, etc., encouraging them to create and customize a story for their own children. The "talking tree" could be a cypress; there could be plants and animals woven into the story that are part of the child's world in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Adaptations can also be made for the tornados north of the Gulf states where children and families are also being impacted by this tragedy.

• Talking to Your Child About Violence * (keep in mind that there is also a great deal of violence erupting in these areas as tempers flare and survival needs become paramount and people become desperate. Word of prison uprisings, looting, etc. are also bound to frighten children. Remind parents to be cautious about news and conversations that children may overhear.)
• Protect Your Children from Viewing Graphic Terrorist Atrocities*
• How to Talk to Your Children about the Terrorist Attacks on the U.S. *

Help for Kids: Understanding Your Feelings About Terrorism, War and Peace
We are pleased to offer you free online access to the workbook: Help for Kids: Understanding Your Feelings About Terrorism, War and Peace, developed by Carole Gesme, M.A., CFLE, author and member of the FIS guest faculty.

Sniper Terror: two new resources from members of Family Information Services' National Panel of Advisors, Dr. James Garbarino and Jean Illsley Clarke. Sadly, many children live in communities where sniper terror did not end.

• A Message to Parents about How to Help Children Cope with Sniper Fear
• What Do We Say to the Children about the Sniper?

*PDF files can be easily read using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader™. Click for the free Adobe Acrobat Reader™ -- an easy download.

If you would like more information about Family Information Services' resources for working with parents and families, please be sure to sign up for our free e-news bulletin or call for a brochure at 800.852.8112.

Dr. David Walsh, Director of the National Institute on Media and the Family and a member of the Family Information Services National Panel of Advisors has written an excellent handout for parents on the National Insititute on Media and the Family website:

• Helping Children Cope with War and Terrorism

Elizabeth Crary, Founder of Parenting Press and a member of the Family Information Services National Panel of Advisors has these excellent articles on the Parenting Press website:

• 10 tips to help your children deal with violence
• How to talk to your kids about their feelings
• Help for parents when talking to your kids about violence

Additional materials on helping children cope with fears and trauma are available when you purchase the FIS Parent & Family Educator's Resource Library.

• The January, 2002 resource packet includes a "workbook" for parents and/or practitioners to use with children who have experienced a traumatic event, "I Can't Believe It Happend to Me" by Dr. Donna Fiedler.
  
  
• The March, 2003 resource packet includes a “workbook” for parents and/or practitioners to use with children to help them identify and cope with their feelings about war, terrorism and peace by author Carole Gesme.
  
  
• The August, 2005 FIS Online Audio-Interview with Ted Bowman, St. Paul, MN: "Finding Hope and Healing When Dreams Are Lost"
  
  Objectives: Practitioners will be able to:
  -- describe the difference between loss of dreams and other forms of grief.
  --more readily incorporate grief issues into work with parents and families.
  --consider a range of appropriate responses to persons experiencing a loss of dreams.
  
  Handouts (individually):
  -- Steps for Grieving the Loss of Dreams
  -- Begin to Develop a Healing Plan

Additional Links to other resources on children, trauma and crises (we cannot guarantee these links remain current):

• Judy Myers-Walls, Child Development Specialist
  Purdue Extension talks about developmental issues related to talking about terrorism
  
  
• The American Red Cross has a list of links on the home page to Red Cross Disaster Counseling Materials that include articles: Helping Young Children Cope with Trauma Guide For Families Affected By Transportation Disasters Why Do I Feel Like This? When Bad Things Happen
  
  
• Helping Children Cope After A Disaster: a booklet developed at Penn State by our Pediatric Trauma Research Team.
  
  
• Public Television has a good piece by Dr. Walsh in response to the 9/11 events called "Talking with Children When Disaster Strikes"
  
  
• "Statement form the National Mental Health Association" with a link to "Helping Children Handle Disaster-Related Anxiety:"
  
  
• "Helping Children After a Disaster" AACAP Fact Sheet
  
  
• AAP Offers Advice on Communicating with Children about Disasters"