Trauma I Illness I Loss I Coping
Painful medical procedures are difficult to cope with. As a Certified Child Life Specialist, my role is to prepare children for new experiences while providing a coping plan. I had the opportunity to support my own son for a routine blood test this week. He was quite nervous when his pediatrician mentioned it and I could see his signs of distress. I decided to use some child life techniques to help educate and prepare him while providing validation, and a coping plan.
We all know how frightening surgery can be for children and their parents. Child life specialists do their best to provide proper education and preparation for this new experience while instilling coping skills. Incorporating children’s books can also be a useful tool to help process information and encourage open dialogue about feelings.
I’m excited to share a newly published book that does just this. Surgery on Sunday, helps children understand what this new experience we be like, while also providing a role for them. It is colorful, engaging, and validates emotions. It is definitely a new favorite of mine.
It is imperative that we start talking about sex education and sexual abuse prevention more seriously. It is an essential tool for prevention. Helping kids set healthy boundaries for their private parts can be a daunting and awkward task for parents, counselors, and educators.
Written from a kid’s point of view, I Said No! makes this task a lot easier. To help Zack cope with a real-life experience he had with a “friend,” he and his mom wrote a book to help prepare other kids to deal with a range of problematic situations. I Said No! uses kid-friendly language and illustrations to help parents and concerned adults give kids guidance they can understand, practice, and use.
It is highly likely that you know a child who has been or is being abused.
1. Experts estimate that 1 in 10 children are sexually abused before their 18th birthday.
2. 30% of children are abused by family members.
3. As many as 60% are abused by people the family trusts.
4. About 35% of victims are 11 years old or younger.
5. Nearly 40% are abused by older or larger children.
Research shows that the greatest risk to children doesn’t come from strangers, but from friends and family. People who abuse children look and act just like everyone else. In fact, they often go out of their way to appear trustworthy, seeking out settings where they can gain easy access to children, such as sports leagues, faith centers, clubs, and schools.
Kimberly King left her traditional job as a kindergarten teacher to write books for children on difficult and often emotional topics. Kimberly King is a child-development professional, certified early-childhood educator, and darkness2light.org sexual abuse prevention Stewards of Children facilitator. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in early childhood development and family studies from the University of Maine and a Master of Science degree in early childhood education. She is the author of, I Said No!, the best-selling children’s book about sexual-abuse prevention. King is the author of three kid-to-kid guides:
King lives with her family in Connecticut and is available for media trainings, interviews, school visits, and author signings.
We will be giving away a free copy to one lucky winner. Choose one or more ways to enter:
1. Sign up for email notifications at ChildLifeMommy.com and leave a comment below.
2. Facebook: Follow Child Life Mommy and tag a friend.
3. Facebook: Follow @KimberlyKingBooks and post a comment about the giveaway.
4. Twitter: Follow, Like and RT the post to @ChildLifeMommy.
5. Instagram: Follow @ChildLifeMommy and @KKingBooks, tag a friend in the post.
Good Luck! The winner will be chosen on 10/20/19.
Protecting Kids From Sexual Abuse
Bibliotherapy: A Gentler Approach to Understanding