Pray—with them and for them. This is something that is one of the most powerful things you can do with your child. Let them see you pray and include prayer before you eat and at bedtime, no matter what their age— kids need to know God is watching over them. Attend services with them and help them prepare for the day they are on their own and have to face hard times and decisions as adults.
Children have to deal with stress, trauma, and loss in today’s world. They just do it differently than adults. Instead of concentrating on trying to get children to tell you what they are feeling, concentrate on providing an open communication environment. I take my daughter out on a “girl’s night out” each week, just her and me for some fun, dinner and time away from work and school. Even if she doesn’t feel like talking when we start, it happens naturally and she looks forward to this one-on-one time with mom.
Often, just feeling comfortable and being able to ask questions will relieve the stress a child feels around an incident they are dealing with. Remember, although there are huge tragedies in this world today, a child may still view things in their own life as a tragedy or a loss even if we as adults would not view it that way.
