How to Prepare Children with Trauma for Graduation Season
Graduation marks a significant change in life and that can come with some big emotions for students and their families. As graduation season draws near, many are excited to celebrate their accomplishments. But for those kids with trauma, it can be a scary time. Here is how you can prepare children with trauma for this emotional season and the next chapter in life.
Our Traditional Views on Graduation
For most of us, graduation is a time to celebrate a milestone. We love stories of achievement and how family and friends are brought together for graduation ceremonies and parties to celebrate those accomplishments.
We know that most grads are largely relieved and gratified that this part of their life journey is over. Whether the student is graduating from high school or a university, there was a lot of hard work and effort that went into attaining this milestone. Scenes of celebrations play out on the graduation stage and at parties around the neighborhood.
The Mixed Emotions for Children with Trauma
But for children with trauma, this time can come with some very mixed emotions. That’s because kids with trauma have overcome incredible obstacles and difficulties to make it to this point. For some children with trauma, they may have felt they would never reach the elusive goal of graduating. So for children with trauma, graduation can be both rewarding, but also the conclusion of a very difficult part of their life.
Graduation can also bring on feelings of fear, loss, discouragement, and even depression. Graduation doesn’t just mark a conclusion of something, but the beginning of something new. It brings change and uncertainty, which can be scary. Routines will be disrupted. Friends go off to different universities and that can feel like a potential loss. It can be hard to navigate what is next for kids with trauma.
While these feelings can occur in anyone who is experiencing a big change in life, these feelings can be exacerbated by past trauma. It can take time for a young person to find another mission or their place in life after an upheaval such as graduation, making the transitional period difficult to navigate emotionally.
How to Prepare Children with Trauma for the Next Chapter in Their Life
So how can parents and caregivers prepare their child with trauma for this life-changing event? It’s important to recognize this transitional period where emotions may not seem congruent to something positive that graduation and achievement is normally associated with. These mixed emotions can spiral and leave your child vulnerable. Knowing this can happen is the first step to helping your child with trauma make it through this life change.
Beyond that first step, each child and their emotions will be very unique and different. It’s important to sit down with your child before graduation to talk about how they are feeling. Remind them that everyone is a little scared, even if they are celebrating. Keep the lines of communication open and encourage your child to reach out and talk to you when they are starting to spiral.
But above all, remember that these mixed emotions can be dysregulating, and that you need to operate with more patience than usual during this time. Give your child the space to express their feelings and emotions, helping them navigate this difficult time as a family.
