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"The world will not perish for want of wonders, but for want of wonder." - J. B. S. Haldane

HELPING CHILDREN COPE WITH HIGH STRESS

In the Beginnings Workshop focusing on "Children's Mental Health" in the July/August 2003 issue of Child Care Information Exchange, Alan Cohen from the Community Stress Prevention Center in Kiryat Shmona, Israel, offers a range of ideas for helping children cope with stress in challenging times, including the following . . .

Beliefs and Values.  Help young children clarify what we believe in as a society, as a group, or as individuals.  Activities can include writing to people in need showing we care, telling a heroic story — with older children it is possible to make use of stories of older family members (like grandfather or grandmother) or other exemplary figures who overcame different obstacles in their lives.

Affect and Emotions.  Encourage the expression of feelings through pictures.  For example, cut out from newspapers a few pictures related to the events that you are coping with (not pictures that are too difficult to look at) and some unrelated photos of people or animals.  Ask each child to choose a picture that he/she wants to talk about.  Each child in turn will explain how he made his choice.  A conversation will develop.  Let it flow.

To see Cohen's entire article, go to "Free Resources .... From Exchange" at www.ChildCareExchange.com

To order a copy of the entire Begininngs Workshop on Children's Mental Health, go to:
http://mail.ccie.com/go/eed/0070

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