Things you might expect:
- Students may come to school with nothing
- Bookbags
- Supplies -- consider having additional school supplies on hand
- Lunch or snacks
- Students may not have access to food before and after school
- Stability may be disrupted
- Places and people a child considers safe may be unavailable
- Sleep patterns may be significantly disrupted
- Parents and caregivers may be distracted, stressed and highly emotional themselves
Ways children can react to stress:
- Fatigue and exhaustion
- Change in appetite, sleep, nightmares
- Disruptive behavior
- Poor attention span and difficulty concentrating
- Avoidance, disengagement and shutting down
- Anger, sadness, anxiety, guilt and irritability
- Drug or alcohol use
Helping students cope:
- Gym or exercise time -- offer more time for movement
- Journaling or other age appropriate coloring, art, or crafts
- Build quiet time into the day
- Ask students what helps them in difficult times, and encourage self-care
Seek help for a student when:
- You notice that the stress is interfering with their ability to participate in the classroom
- A child is withdrawn or unable to engage in classroom activities or with friends
- The child engages in
- Obsessive talking, writing, or drawing about death and violence
- Aggressive talk that does not diminish with time
- Self-injury, talk about suicidal thoughts or making plans to harm others
Remember:
- Look for changes in the child’s normal behavior
- Be prepared for all emotions
- All kids do not react the same way
- What one person perceives as a traumatic event may not be seen that way by others
- Take into consideration the age, development and resiliency of the student
- A history of trauma can make some more susceptible to tragic or violent events; others can become more resilient
If you or a child in your care is in crisis, contact: