How to make schoolchildren spend time in the shelter without stress: a guide for teachers
[ad_1]
“On the principle of an oxygen mask”. How anxiety affects the psychological state of children
Air alarms affect children in exactly the same way as adults: they can cause anxiety, panic, and irritability. But we are adults and understand that in case of potential danger, we must go to shelter. It is important to explain this need to children as well. And the clearer the action plan is for such cases, the more chances we have that the children will not experience severe stress during their stay in the shelter, a practicing psychologist and consultant on child-parent relations, certified art- and fairy tale therapist Iryna Shkraba.
“The main task for teachers and all adults who are close to children during the educational process is to treat this process responsibly. A good idea is in the absence of an air alarm and when there is no potential danger to conduct a kind of small rehearsal with the children: walk the evacuation route, with which the children will then go to the shelter. This will prepare them for such a situation in real conditions,” advises the psychologist.
It is also necessary to talk with the children about why they need to go to the shelter, why they do it. Here, it is necessary to take into account the age characteristics of children. The younger the children, the simpler and more concise this information should be presented. In a conversation with younger schoolchildren, you should not use certain “adult” terms that they may not understand. And the older the children, the more serious the provision of information can be, respectively.
“If crisis situations arise, you should act according to the principle of an oxygen mask on an airplane: first take care of yourself, and then take care of the child: if you yourself are nervous, you should calm down, because children read the mood of adults and can quickly pick up on your anxious state,” he adds she.
Yuliya Yaremyshyn teaches computer science in one of the secondary schools in Ukraine. During the past school year, she, like many children and teachers across the country, went down with the children to the shelter. Ms. Yulia confirms the psychologist’s opinion: the first thing to do when under stress is to calm down as an adult.
“Children are extremely sensitive to the moods of the adults who are next to them. Even when the teachers first brought children to the shelter, there were moments when colleagues panicked. Children see and feel it. That’s why it’s important to calm down yourself. And then you can confidently do everything is possible for the safety of the children,” the teacher is convinced.
According to her, all teachers are concerned about the safety and psychological state of children in shelters: they put additional seats, display boards, prepare additional materials and toys. They try to make the children more comfortable and worry less.
“During the time of the alarms, there were also “arrivals”. Children hear explosions, and it is important to be close to them at this moment. To say: “Don’t worry”, “You are good, you are holding on well”, “We are all here together, we are with you”. “We are in a safe place,” “We are well protected,” “We are under the protection of our military,” the teacher recalls.
If a teacher cannot take care of himself during contact with a child, he will not be able to take care of the child either, notes Iryna Shkraba. Therefore, we adults should constantly work on our emotional state.
“When we expose ourselves to the feeling of acute stress, we expose the child to stress at the same time. Children read the emotional state of an adult. Therefore, it is important to take care of ourselves first, and then of those who are close to us. Teachers can enlist the support of psychologists who work together with with them at school. Do not be shy to ask for help from the administration if necessary,” advises the specialist.
Feeling stressed when an air raid alarm sounds and you have to go to shelter is a normal reaction to a stressor. Both adults and children can feel it.
Pay attention. An acute reaction to stress in a child may be accompanied by a panic attack. Educators should know what it is and master the techniques of helping with such conditions. It’s important to just be there, ask what you can do to help. If necessary, give the child to drink water. You can let your child blow up a balloon – this is a breathing exercise that will reduce stress. Or have anti-stress toys in the shelter.
“I highly recommend that teachers and class leaders make a box in the shelter, where they would put only such things for themselves that would help overcome stress during air anxiety. It is also good for children to carry their favorite toy in the shelter. This will remind them of home, which will serve as additional an incentive for a sense of security,” advises Iryna Shkraba.
Separately, it is worth taking care of filling the shelters with important items.
Sytnyakiv Lyceum of the Makariv Settlement Council, Buchansky District, Kyiv Region
Lyceum 46 named after Vyacheslava Chornovola, Lviv
[ad_2]
Original Source Link
