Wellbeing advice for Teachers and Parents

The following information is from the Ministry of Education website here.
How teachers and parents can support children, their fears and behaviour, after the Christchurch Earthquake.
Message to schools

The Christchurch earthquake has been frightening for everyone involved, especially for students who may not understand what has happened. The earthquake will result in a range of reactions and questions from children depending on their experience of the earthquake.

Children may:

  • need more reassurance than usual
  • lack concentration, be tired and have trouble eating
  • be scared that the big earthquake is going to happen again
  • be more frustrated and impatient than usual or have other changes in behaviour.

Be aware that children may be most afraid that:

  • the event will happen again, buildings and other things will fall down
  • someone may be injured or killed
  • they could be separated from their family
  • they will be left alone.

Students will want to talk about what has happened to them and what they saw. Teachers can support these conversations through discussions, drawings, story telling and by ensuring they emphasis any positive aspects of events.

Students will be looking to adults to provide them with a sense of safety and security. Trying to act calm – even when we might not be feeling like it – will help reassure students. Teachers can also help students by keeping to familiar routines and letting students know if different things are going to happen.
Helpful approaches

Some helpful approaches are:

  • provide assurance that all reactions are normal
  • keep rules in place – safety for self and others
  • keep things predictable
  • emphasise how people have coped and what’s being done at a government, council, community and school level, as well as family and neighbours. Buildings and homes have been damaged and that makes people sad but we have all done well. (This is a great topic for discussion along with outlining what went well.)
  • focus on things we can all do to help.

Things to do:

  • keep the start of the school day to its normal routine and convey important information when students are with their teachers and peer groups – people they know and trust
  • ensure educators have key and accurate information to share with students, such as what property damage did or did not occur and if educators aren't at school, why not?
  • if there are changes in routine, explain clearly what these changes are and why they are occurring
  • students will want to talk about what’s happened to them and what they saw, support these conversations through discussions, drawings and story telling  and emphasise the positive aspects of events
  • if students have lost possessions or things that are important to them, acknowledge this loss and speak about things that they can do to replace or work towards replacing these things, asking them for suggestions
  • go over the plan for an earthquake drill – emphasise that drills keep everyone safe
  • give students the opportunity to tell their stories – again try and focus on the help that's occurring and on stories where people have helped each other.

The following PDF's may be of assistance to teachers and parents supporting children's fears and behaviors after the earthquake.
Teachers who need additional support please phone the Ministry’ of Education's Traumatic Incident Team on 0800 848 326.

Tips on supporting toddlers
Tips on supporting children
Tips on supporting children with ASD
Tips on supporting young people