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Age
|
Room #
|
Provider
|
Infants
|
1
|
Kyrsten Perschon
|
2
|
Melissa Aguilar
|
|
|
|
3
|
Angie Genera
|
Toddlers
|
6
|
Jamie Walquist
|
|
|
7
|
Amanda Lammers
|
|
|
8
|
Debra Hughes
|
Twos
|
9
|
Chelcy Goodnight
|
|
|
10
|
Lindsen Jensen
|
|
|
11
|
Brenda Myers
|
Threes/Fours
|
20
|
Karen Vaughn
|
|
|
29
|
Misty Sheets
|
Fours
|
27
|
JaNae Kunzler
|
|
|
28
|
Shannon Koplin
|
School Age Care
|
24/26
|
Wenda Kaler
|
Guidelines
for “Helping Children Deal with News
Violence”
Diane Levin, Ph.D.
1. PROTECT CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY YOUNG CHILDREN, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
FROM EXPOSURE
TO
NEWS VIOLENCE AND FROM HEARING ADULTS TALK ABOUT IT. While it's rarely possible to
protect them fully from news violence, having safety &
security predominate is still vital for healthy development.
2. TRUSTED ADULTS HAVE A VITAL ROLE TO PLAY HELPING CHILDREN SORT OUT
WHAT THEY
SEE & HEAR & FEEL
SAFE. When exposed to violence
children need trusted adults to help them safely work
out their ideas, often over an
extended period of time. How you react plays a big role in determining how they
think & feel & what they
learn.
3. BASE WHAT YOU SAY ON
THE AGE, UNDERSTANDINGS & CONCERNS OF THE CHILDREN.
· YOUNG CHILDREN WON’T UNDERSTAND VIOLENCE AS ADULTS DO. When they see or hear about
something
scary, they often relate it to themselves and worry about their own safety.
They tend to focus on one
thing at a time and the most
salient aspects of what they see. Because they don't have logical causal
thinking,
it's hard to figure out the logic
of what happened and why, or sort out what's pretend and real. They relate what
they hear to what they already
know which leads to misunderstandings. "Mommy works in a skyscraper; it
can
blow up too!" or “Planes in
the war carry bombs; so planes I see in the sky carry bombs too!”
· OLDER CHILDREN BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT WHAT UNDERLIES AN EVENT AND
POSSIBLE REAL
WORLD
IMPLICATIONS. They use more accurate
language and make logical causal connections, but still
don't understand all the meanings
and can develop misunderstandings and fears. Find out the meanings
behind their language and base your
responses on what they seem to know and be asking.
4. START BY FINDING OUT WHAT CHILDREN KNOW. If a child raises the issue, ask, "What have you
heard about that?" You can
start a conversation with, "Have you heard anything about a plane crash
[or
bombs]? What did you hear?”
5. ANSWER QUESTIONS AND CLEAR UP MISCONCEPTIONS THAT WORRY OR
CONFUSE. You don't
need to provide the full story.
Just tell children what they seem to want to know. Don't worry about giving
"right
answers" or if children have
ideas that don’t agree with yours. You can help children learn to distinguish
real from
pretend violence. You can calmly
voice your feelings and concerns.
6. SUPPORT CHILDREN'S EFFORTS TO USE PLAY, ART, AND WRITING TO WORK
OUT AN
UNDERSTANDING OF SCARY
THINGS THEY SEE AND HEAR. It’s normal for children to do
this in an
ongoing way; it helps them work out
ideas and feelings; it shows you what they know and worry about. Openended
(versus highly-structured) play materials—blocks,
airplanes, emergency vehicles, miniature people, a
doctor’s
kit, markers and paper—help children with this.
7. BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SIGNS OF STRESS. Changes in behavior such as increased aggression or
withdrawal,
difficulty separating or sleeping, or troubles with transition are all signs
that additional supports
are needed. Protecting children
from violent media images, maintaining routines, providing reassurance &
extra hugs can help children regain
equilibrium.
8. HELP CHILDREN LEARN ALTERNATIVES TO THE HARMFUL LESSONS THEY MAY
BE LEARNING
ABOUT
VIOLENCE AND PREJUDICE. Talk
about non-violent ways to solve conflicts in their own lives. Help
them look at different points of
view in conflicts. Point to positive experiences with people different from
themselves.
Try to complicate their thinking rather than tell them how to think.
9. DISCUSS WHAT ADULTS ARE DOING TO MAKE THE SITUATION BETTER AND WHAT
CHILDREN
CAN
DO TO HELP. Children can feel secure when
they see adults working to keep the world safe. And taking
meaningful
action steps themselves also helps children feel more in control.
10. TALK WITH OTHER ADULTS. Work
together to support each other’s efforts to create a safe environment
for children. This includes
agreeing to protect children from unnecessary exposure to violence. Talking
together
can also help adults meet their
own personal needs.