Early Childhood Connections by Help Me Grow Utah: Dealing with Fear

Unfortunately our world today is full of tragic and scary events. I remember many years ago when Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapping took place my little brother, then 5 years old, was so affected by it he slept in my parents bed for a solid year. I also remember watching The Mummy at a friend’s home when I was in elementary school and being so freaked out by the flesh eating beetles I had to sleep in long sleeves, long pants, and socks for the next few months. In both of these instances our parents played a crucial role in helping us work through our fears. Whether it’s a big traumatic event playing out in the media or a stressor found closer to home, children don’t react the same way as adults do and often need help making sense of the situation.

The Help Me Grow team recently did a blogpost on this subject, check out this list of tips we complied to help parents help their children.

Tips for discussing a tragic event with your child

• Be the one to explain the event to your child when possible, so that they don’t overhear it from media or other children. Explain the event as briefly and accurately as possible, without including graphic details or giving more information than your child needs or asks for.
• Be honest and tell them the truth about what happened.
• Encourage them to express their feelings and fears – Some will be afraid for their own safety even if the tragic event didn’t happen in their own state.
• Let them know that you’ll do everything you can to keep them and your loved ones safe.
• Don’t project your own fears onto your children.

Tips for helping them cope with a stressor

• Keep a normal routine.
• Allow children to use pretend play to cope.
• Correct inaccurate conclusions that they have made based off the traumatic event.
• Limit media exposure.
• Help your child come up with a “coping toolkit” of activities and strategies they can use when they become anxious.

For more tips on this subject and others contact Help Me Grow here or call 801-691-5322.

Kali Iverson—Community Liaison

Early Childhood Connections by Help Me Grow Utah: Routines

The school year is now upon us and getting back into a consistent routine is important for your family and quite possibly your sanity as a parent. Although they can sometimes be rough to establish, especially after a long fun summer, having routines throughout the day is something that children actually crave!

Routines provide children with stability and security, both of which help a child build a foundation for self-discipline. Having a routine can help eliminate the power struggle often associated with bedtime, mealtime, and homeworktime, just to name a few. This is because children know what to expect and it actually gives them a sense of control in their ever-changing world.

Figuring out routines that work for your family is up to you, every family is different and you are the best judge of what will work, but here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Be consistent! Your child may not take to a routine as quickly as you would like, but preserve!

Prepare for upcoming transitions. When the time to stop playing and start getting ready for bed is near, give your child fair warning to ease into the routine. Make this transition time a consistent part of the routine.

Accept that there will be times the routine fails. Whether its staying too late at a family party, being out of town, or the day is just not going your way. It’s ok to have those off days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t continue with the routine the next day.

Freetime is still vital! Not every moment of your child’s day should be structured. They need time to explore and make their own decisions about what they do. You can easily have routines while still allowing for freedom and growth.

Still have questions about routines? That’s ok! Help Me Grow is here for you. Call 801-691-5322 or visit helpmegrowutah.org to talk to a Care Coordinator about how to establish routines and the benefits of them.

Kali Iverson—Community Liaison