Julika Van Stackelberg (Children & Separation)
Parental separation can profoundly affect children, causing confusion and emotional distress. This video provides guidance on supporting kids during this challenging time. Learn ho...
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How can communication help buffer a child's stress?
So we want to make sure that we understand that prolonged experiences of stressful situations can really have an impact on the children's bodies and their development. So when you help buffer these stressful situations through communication and clarity, being available for questions, responding to your child's feelings, and really seeing where they're coming from, then you are able to help buffer some of the stress that your child might experiencing be experiencing because they have a place that they can lean onto.
How can parents manage their own emotions in a healthy way?
For you to talk to a trusted friend or family member or to a professional will help you too. To be able to show up to your child in a way that your child doesn't feel responsible for what's going on. Because oftentimes they see themselves in a situation that say, you are reflecting some of the feelings that you may have about your partner on the child. They may feel and internalised that it's their fault or they're not good enough, or they also make mistakes and they're not welcome. And these are things that are important you communicate to your child and that your child know that they're valuable and you both love the child, and that the child has the right to be spending time with you. Show your child how to make it through. So by demonstrating yourself that you might have a difficult situation or a difficult day, and showing your child how you manage through the day, coming up on the upside at the end is a really valuable lesson as well, because then your child can observe you in being able to get through difficult times.
How can reflection help a child feel capable?
And at the end, talk to your child about things that make you grow, things that you have learned, things that they have learned. Give them evidence for the fact that they have come through a difficult situation before, so that they know and trust, yes, I have accomplished something, and I can do that again, even if it feels like an insurmountable challenge.