How to Help a Child Cope With Change
Major life changes are never easy, especially for kids who may not fully understand what’s happening. Although adults may have already figured out how to cope with change in life, children have most certainly not, and having that initial conversation with your kids is even harder. A child that cannot cope with change will showcase their feelings differently – whether it’s stress, anger, withdrawal, or excitement. To make the conversation with your young ones easier, you’ll want to be transparent from the beginning, offer the positives of the change, and allow them a safe space to air their concerns or worries. Below, our Florida family services professionals expand on the topic for people that want to learn more about how to help a child cope with change.
Helping a Child Adjust to Change – Most Common Changes
Two common yet monumental changes in a child’s life are moving away from school, friends, and familiarity and finding out they’re going to have a baby brother or sister. Being transparent with them is crucial in the beginning. You, as a parent, know better than most that kids are very intuitive and pick up when something is off. Ways to keep an open and truthful line of communication are explaining a timeline of when the new move or baby is on its way and allowing for input – even if it can’t change the situation. Most often than not, kids want to be heard. Also, marriage problems may be a significant source of trouble in children. If your marriage is currently rocky or you are dealing with marriage anxiety, these feelings can rub off on children. Visiting a West Palm Beach marriage counseling service or visiting a Delray Beach therapist are all great ways to mitigate any trouble that may be present in a marriage.
Helping a Child That Cannot Cope With Change
A large part of learning how to help a child cope with change is to practice active listening and empathy. Is your youngster stressed, nervous, or scared? Have a conversation with them and let them express their feelings. Let them know that these feelings are normal and expected with such a big change in their life. Are they scared they won’t have any friends or are they feeling jealous about introducing a new family member? Accept their feelings and help talk them through. Let them know that although things are going to be different, that they will work out and to stay positive.
Explain and look at the positive. Sit down with your child and talk to them about new opportunities they may have. Maybe it’s the chance to make new friends, although they can certainly keep in touch with their current friends via phone or even a handwritten note. You can also talk about all the new experiences they’ll have. It will be tough at first for everyone, but looking for the positive will help everyone embrace the change with more optimism.
Whether it is giving useful tips on how to help a child cope with change or offering top-of-the-line mental health and counseling services, Marriage and Family Services is here to help you or your family learn how to cope with change in life or deal with internal mental struggles. Contact us today or read our blog to learn more about our mental health and family services.
