As mothers, our main concern is guiding our daughters through the world. However, the world’s unkindness doesn’t discriminate; young people are susceptible to trauma just like adults. You must know what to look for before you can help your daughter through difficulties.
Trauma appears in children in many different ways. Bullying, natural disasters, and unpleasant experiences can have a negative impact. Recognizing the signs is vital to your mother-daughter relationship, so keep an eye out for these behaviors.
- Regression
When a child has a stressful experience, they may experience regression. Certain skills that they mastered in the past might suddenly seem challenging. This regression can take the form of simple things, such as difficulty making decisions, or more noticeable actions, such as slacking on hygiene.
PTSD can cause thumb-sucking and other child-like behaviors in older kids, too. School-aged girls might fall behind in certain subjects or struggle to make social connections. Your daughter’s behavior will regress to communicate an unmet need that the stressful event caused.
- Anxiety
Kids experience anxiety for many reasons. Navigating an unknown world is stressful as it is. However, anxiety is another way trauma appears in children. This kind of anxious behavior may manifest in unusual ways over seemingly-harmless situations.
Frequent, full-blown meltdowns should decrease as your daughter ages. Continuing to struggle with self-regulation could be a trauma manifestation. Unchecked childhood anxiety may lead to panic disorders as an adult, so stay on top of your daughter’s stress levels.
- Nightmares
It’s common for kids to have bad dreams after watching something scary. However, frequent nightmares aren’t the norm. One of the markers for PTSD is flashbacks, which children may experience while asleep.
Nightmares are difficult to manage since you can’t control them, and these experiences can be re-traumatizing. However, you can soothe your daughter by encouraging open communication without judgment. Sleep is essential to development, so don’t ignore frequent bad dreams for long.
The best way to get help for these behaviors is through a professional. However, your daughter also needs you for emotional support. While you can’t protect them from all the world’s ugliness, you can strengthen your bond by being her rock through the most challenging situations.
