We’ve all been shaken by the acts of violence that took place this week in Washington D.C. and at several state capitals across the nation. The violent actions have left a significant impact on us as a nation and as individuals and may lead to conversations during your mentoring time.
We are already carrying so much right now, between the pandemic, economic insecurities, and radical shifts in the way we interact with each other in our daily lives. The thought of trying to process any more events may feel overwhelming. As with any conversation you have with your mentee, we encourage you to follow their lead. The best practice in situations like these is to hold space for children to talk about both what they know, and their feelings around it all. You might remind them that there are many adults working to keep us safe. This can provide reassurance to them that there are still rules and structure in place.
Because our mentees may be talking about what happened at home and in school, it may be top of mind for many and something they readily bring up to you. For others, they may choose to use their time with you as an opportunity to not talk about things like this that may feel heavy. We encourage you to view any discussion you might have with your mentee as opportunities to reiterate their safety and use them as teachable moments on how to cope with anxiety and stress. With this in mind, we want to share some resources for you to use as you see fit:
- How Do We Explain Capital Chaos to Kids?
- Talking to Your Kids About Chaos
- When Bad Things Are Happening
- Parenting Article Child Psychologist on Talking with Kids about Chaos at the Capitol
- Coping With Stress
- Self-Care In Uncertain Times
We want to remind you that Seedling is here to help facilitate conversations about any of these issues affecting our community, in age-appropriate and developmentally-appropriate manners. If you feel overwhelmed or unsure of how to support your mentee, please reach out to your Mentor Director.