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Key tips parents should follow to help their children cope after a traumatic event
21st June, 2026 10:50 PM
Whether it is the loss of a loved one, a serious accident, a natural disaster, violence, or another distressing experience, traumatic events can leave children feeling frightened, confused, and overwhelmed.
While every child responds differently, the support they receive from parents and caregivers can play a critical role in their recovery.
According to statistics by UNICEF, quite often when a disaster or tragedy occurs, parents are often concerned with how to best help their children while they are also trying to deal with their own shock or response to the event.
“Both children and adults often become scared and confused. Like adults, children are most likely to be worried about their family and significant people in their lives, including friends and caregivers,” UNICEF states.
Children often look to adults for reassurance during difficult times. By responding with patience, understanding, and consistency, parents can help their children process their emotions and regain a sense of safety.
Here are important tips from UNICEF to follow as a parent towards helping your child cope after a traumatic event.
Children process traumatic events at their own pace
Be available to discuss the events on more than one occasion, as children’s interest in and questions about what happened will change over time.
Don’t judge one child’s reactions to loss by another’s.
Children react in different ways. Some may find comfort in spending time with friends and relatives; others will prefer to process the events in solitude.
Reassure your child that it is normal to react to trauma in a variety of ways, such as feelings of anger, guilt and sadness.
According to UNICEF, children may also be told that they can express their feelings in different ways; for instance, a person may feel sadness without necessarily crying.
Mood changes are to be expected in children following a significant loss or a disturbing event.
Be sensitive and patient with the changes in your child’s emotional world.
Encourage children to express and communicate their feelings.
Memorial ceremonies and other rituals will be important for some children, while others may feel more comfortable in expressing their emotions through art or through connecting with their peers.
Parents are advised to help their child find constructive ways to express feelings such as anger and sadness.
Encourage children to write their thoughts, feelings and experiences in a journal, or to draw pictures of their experiences. This will help provide them with a means to express their feelings.
Talk to children about the different moods or feelings people, including you, may experience after a tragedy.
Express your feelings honestly, but do your best to avoid alarming or upsetting your child further.
Find a quiet place and time to speak with your children and be available for any questions
It is often best to start a conversation by finding out what children already know, then listening to see what questions they may have.
You do not need to have all the answers, and therefore it is okay to say “I don’t know” in response to your child’s questions.
Provide children with honest and direct information about what has occurred
To the extent that your child wishes to discuss what happened, engage in open conversations, using language they understand.
When adults avoid discussion of traumatic events, this can convey that the topic is “taboo,” which may ultimately result in increasing a child’s fear and worry.
Allow your children to retain as much of their daily routines as possible during stressful times
By maintaining familiar schedules, children will gradually reestablish feelings of normalcy, and their anxieties about what happened will be significantly reduced.
Reassure children that they are safe and are being taken care of
Reassurances may need to be repeated frequently, even after the immediate event has passed.
Most importantly, spending extra time with your child can also help them feel safe. Explain how the safety of the community is being helped by the government and community agencies.
