How to Cope with Frightening Parenting News
Be aware of the impact crisis can have on your family., Enact a plan., Focus on the present., Limit your exposure to fear., Recall past stressful events and strategies used., Use stress reduction techniques., Keep your family calm.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Be aware of the impact crisis can have on your family.
Depending on the type of situation, experiencing or receiving frightening parenting news can sometimes result in a family crisis.
This is when the family is no longer able to function together as a unit, as they once normally did.
There are many different types of triggers that can cause a family crisis, and all of them can affect all members of your family.
Triggers may include:
A particular medical or mental health crisis with one of your family members.
A financial crisis from a loss of job, or other financial burden making it impossible to maintain payments of bills.
Substance abuse with one or more of the family members.
Relationship problems between family members within the family unit.
This could include increased difficult relational interactions between people as they go through different transitions within their lives.
For example, teenagers acting out as they explore their independence, or empty nesters trying to identify their new selves as their children go away to college. -
Step 2: Enact a plan.
Gather any emergency resources you have and spring into action.
If you need an emergency bag or to get out of your town, gather items quickly and leave.
If you need to act quickly and immediately, do so.
If not, take a moment and plan what action needs to be taken.
Should you grab the kids from school? Should you call other family members? Think about what action needs to be taken and where and how to feel safe.
First sit down, and write a breakdown of all of the problems that are associated with this family emergency.
Breaking this family crisis into smaller bits instead of tackling it all at once will be easier to manage, and help you to cope with the situation at hand more effectively and efficiently.
Get necessary items.
For example, if there’s an illness spreading, cover your children’s faces with medical masks.
Remember small essential items such as phone chargers, radios, and children’s items if you need to travel somewhere. , A scary news story might make you fear for your safety or for your future reality.
However, don’t overgeneralize these events to your present reality of ‘this how life is’.
Think about the news and then ask yourself, “How does this affect me or my kids right now?”While something may be scary and make you question your or your kids’ safety, be realistic in how you approach the situation.
Is it an actual threat to your family right now? , Choose whether you want to watch the news or stay involved in what’s happening.
While you may want to be informed, staying up-to-date with reporting may cause you stress and anxiety.
It’s up to you how much information you want or how up-to-date you want to be on what’s going on.
If the news feels overwhelming, take a break.If you need news information for your own safety, take the information, but don’t listen to the stories if they upset you greatly.
Focus on getting through the stress first. , Take a moment to reflect on previous serious concerns and recall how you got through them.
This may help you to remember the different successful strategies you used that you could possibly apply to the current situation.
Sometimes, families may not be able to do this on their own due to being too overwhelmed in the moment.
This is when you should ask for the help of other friends or family not impacted by this pressing event to help you recall some of these strategies.
If there are no other friends and families, you could seek the assistance from a professional counselor to help you brainstorm previous strategies you’ve used in similar situations. , Taking good care of your body, mind, and spirit is important when you’re frightened and stressed.
If you’re feeling frantic and need to calm down, focus on your breath and breathing.
Put your attention on each inhale and exhale for 60 seconds to immediately calm your body and mind.You can also begin calming practices such as meditation, tai chi, yoga, or journal writing.
Do something each day that helps you feel calm and centered.
Take a time out and step back to gain some perspective on the current crisis situation.
While taking deep breaths and trying to refocus your inner self, think about what has already been done.
Once you have fully relaxed, then take a notebook and pen, and write down the things you still need to do and don't hesitate to ask others for help. , It can be difficult to keep your family calm, especially if you have young children and there’s a large emergency.
Children can become fearful quite easily, so do your best to keep them calm.
If the children are scared, fearful or melting down, try some things to bring some calm.
Give them a glass of water, sing a song, have them squish some putty, or rock in a rocking chair.Let them know it’s important to be calm and not loud or tantruming.
For a more movement-oriented child, have some do handstands or yoga poses.
You can also go for a walk or a run. -
Step 3: Focus on the present.
-
Step 4: Limit your exposure to fear.
-
Step 5: Recall past stressful events and strategies used.
-
Step 6: Use stress reduction techniques.
-
Step 7: Keep your family calm.
Detailed Guide
Depending on the type of situation, experiencing or receiving frightening parenting news can sometimes result in a family crisis.
This is when the family is no longer able to function together as a unit, as they once normally did.
There are many different types of triggers that can cause a family crisis, and all of them can affect all members of your family.
Triggers may include:
A particular medical or mental health crisis with one of your family members.
A financial crisis from a loss of job, or other financial burden making it impossible to maintain payments of bills.
Substance abuse with one or more of the family members.
Relationship problems between family members within the family unit.
This could include increased difficult relational interactions between people as they go through different transitions within their lives.
For example, teenagers acting out as they explore their independence, or empty nesters trying to identify their new selves as their children go away to college.
Gather any emergency resources you have and spring into action.
If you need an emergency bag or to get out of your town, gather items quickly and leave.
If you need to act quickly and immediately, do so.
If not, take a moment and plan what action needs to be taken.
Should you grab the kids from school? Should you call other family members? Think about what action needs to be taken and where and how to feel safe.
First sit down, and write a breakdown of all of the problems that are associated with this family emergency.
Breaking this family crisis into smaller bits instead of tackling it all at once will be easier to manage, and help you to cope with the situation at hand more effectively and efficiently.
Get necessary items.
For example, if there’s an illness spreading, cover your children’s faces with medical masks.
Remember small essential items such as phone chargers, radios, and children’s items if you need to travel somewhere. , A scary news story might make you fear for your safety or for your future reality.
However, don’t overgeneralize these events to your present reality of ‘this how life is’.
Think about the news and then ask yourself, “How does this affect me or my kids right now?”While something may be scary and make you question your or your kids’ safety, be realistic in how you approach the situation.
Is it an actual threat to your family right now? , Choose whether you want to watch the news or stay involved in what’s happening.
While you may want to be informed, staying up-to-date with reporting may cause you stress and anxiety.
It’s up to you how much information you want or how up-to-date you want to be on what’s going on.
If the news feels overwhelming, take a break.If you need news information for your own safety, take the information, but don’t listen to the stories if they upset you greatly.
Focus on getting through the stress first. , Take a moment to reflect on previous serious concerns and recall how you got through them.
This may help you to remember the different successful strategies you used that you could possibly apply to the current situation.
Sometimes, families may not be able to do this on their own due to being too overwhelmed in the moment.
This is when you should ask for the help of other friends or family not impacted by this pressing event to help you recall some of these strategies.
If there are no other friends and families, you could seek the assistance from a professional counselor to help you brainstorm previous strategies you’ve used in similar situations. , Taking good care of your body, mind, and spirit is important when you’re frightened and stressed.
If you’re feeling frantic and need to calm down, focus on your breath and breathing.
Put your attention on each inhale and exhale for 60 seconds to immediately calm your body and mind.You can also begin calming practices such as meditation, tai chi, yoga, or journal writing.
Do something each day that helps you feel calm and centered.
Take a time out and step back to gain some perspective on the current crisis situation.
While taking deep breaths and trying to refocus your inner self, think about what has already been done.
Once you have fully relaxed, then take a notebook and pen, and write down the things you still need to do and don't hesitate to ask others for help. , It can be difficult to keep your family calm, especially if you have young children and there’s a large emergency.
Children can become fearful quite easily, so do your best to keep them calm.
If the children are scared, fearful or melting down, try some things to bring some calm.
Give them a glass of water, sing a song, have them squish some putty, or rock in a rocking chair.Let them know it’s important to be calm and not loud or tantruming.
For a more movement-oriented child, have some do handstands or yoga poses.
You can also go for a walk or a run.
About the Author
Angela Ellis
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow lifestyle tutorials.
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