Dateline Carroll ISD: September 05, 2001  10:19 AM

CARROLL ISD ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER

As a parent, how can I help my child deal with the tragic chain of events which occurred on Sept. 11?

A child's best teachers is his or her parent

Sept. 11 was a tragic day for our nation.  GCISD's administration monitored the situation hour by hour with the news media and local government officials.  The safety of students was always given top priority.  The district's Administrative staff and board members were on campuses throughout the day to provide assistance as needed.  The district-wide crisis plan was activated quickly and followed effectively to ensure the safety of our students.  Members of the district's response team --- district-level psychologists and counselors --- were available to students and will continue to assist throughout the week as needed.

Students, teachers and parents reacted calmly and are to be commended for their positive, supportive actions and comments.

Dr. Peggy Wheaton, director of GCISD's Psychological and Special Services answered questions from Mark Born, Board president and father of five children, three of those currently GCISD students:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mark:  What type of questions will my kids ask?

Dr. Wheaton:  Expect factual question such as:

• What happened?

• Are they going to catch the bad guys?

• Is it going to happen again?

• Why did they do it?

• Is (family member/friend) okay?

We know that there are no good answers to most of these questions.  Being reassuring is going to be the biggest need.  Because there are no clear answers, expect children to ask and re-ask questions--it is their way of trying to process what has happened.

Mark:  What type of reactions can we expect from the students?

Dr. Wheaton:  There will be a wide range of reactions in kids.  They may be clingy; irritable; quicker to anger; easier to cry; have poor concentration; have sleep issues - such as needing to have the light on or sleeping with parents; and/or have somatic complaints - such as headaches and stomach pain.

It's difficult to predict a child's reaction.  You may see polar opposite behaviors in a child.  For instance, if the child is normally energetic he or she may be reserved, or if normally quiet, they may be loud.

What can parents do?

• Provide reassurance.  This may be in the form of a hug or letting the child stay close.  It could also be verbal reassurance.

• Encourage conversation.  Do not "protect" your child by avoiding the subject, be age-appropriately honest with them.  If your child can not talk about how he/she feels you can ask how they think the other kids in their class are reacting or feeling.  Talk about your feelings (remember to be age-appropriate).  It's okay to tell your child that you were afraid or that you cried today.

• Listen actively.  Let your child tell their version of what happened.  They may even need to repeat it over and over.  Be patient, this is a normal reaction and iss part of the healing process.

• Watch for emotional regression.  For example, a return or reoccurrence of:

• Bed wetting

• Thumb sucking

• Fear of monsters

• Needing light on to sleep

• Clinginess
  These are temporary and should resolve themselves in the next few weeks.  If not, it may be a sign that professional assistance is needed.  Please use patience during this time.

• Validate feelings.  Validate your child's feelings whether it is anger, fear, sadness, confusion or even guilt.  We can't dictate our feelings or make them be what we think they should be, anymore than a child can.  Reassure your child by telling them that the way they feel is normal, and "okay".

Mark:  What is the district doing to safeguard our children?

Dr. Wheaton:  GCISD Adminstration is monitoring the situation and staying in constant contact with the principals.