Now in 15 languages.Understand the different types of upsets and traumas your child may experience-and learn how to teach them how to be resilient, confident, and even joyful.The number of anxious, depressed, hyperactive and withdrawn children is staggering-and still growing! Millions have experienced bullying, violence (real or in the media), abuse or sexual molestation. Many other kids have been traumatized from more "ordinary" ordeals such as terrifying medical procedures, accidents, loss and divorce. Trauma-Proofing Your Kids sends a lifeline to parents who wonder how they can help their worried and troubled children now. It offers simple but powerful tools to keep children safe from danger and to help them "bounce back" after feeling scared and overwhelmed. No longer will kids have to be passive prey to predators or the innocent victims of life's circumstances.

Dedication and Acknowledgments Foreword by Mira Rothenberg CHAPTER ITrauma Is a Fact of Life Real-Life Examples of Children We Have Known Trauma Is Not Only in the EventThe Recipe for Trauma The Recipe for Resilience CHAPTER IIBuilding Resilience by Building Sensory Skills through Practice, Practice and More PracticeGiving Appropriate Support to an Overwhelmed Child Simple Steps to Build Resilience Developing a Calming Presence Getting Acquainted with Your Own Sensations Exercise: Noticing Sensations Exercise: Exploring Sensations and the Rhythm of PendulationExercise: Tracking Sensations with a PartnerExercise: Making a Sensation Treasure Chest First Aid for Trauma Prevention: A Step-by-Step GuideCHAPTER IIITricks of the Trade: Restoring Resilience through Play, Art and Rhymes The Story of Sammy Four Principles to Guide Children’s Play Toward Resolution More Help for Kids through “Make-Believe” Play Art Activities: Clay, Play Dough, Painting and Drawing Nature and Animal Rhymes Combined with Drawings That Build Resources CHAPTER IVRemedies for Specific Situations: Amusement Park Rides to Zebra Bites First Aid for Accidents and Falls The Purpose of Touch When Helping a Child in Shock The Power of Language to Soothe and HealExercise: Experiencing the Power of WordsMore Animal Rhymes to Help Your Child Regain Self-ConfidenceA Guide to Constructing a Healing Story Prevention of Medical Trauma What Parents Can Do to Prepare Children for Surgery or Other Medical Procedures When the Medical Procedure Is an Emergency Elective Surgeries Sensitivity to Your Child’s Pain A Timely Word about Bullies and School Shootings CHAPTER VAges & Stages: Building Confidence by Fostering Healthy Development Responding to Your Infant: Issues of Safety and Trust Your Toddler’s Needs: “Me Do It Myself” “Tug of War” with Your Three- to Four-Year-OldYour Flirtatious Four- to Six-Year-Old Boy or Girl Adolescent Development: Who Am I?CHAPTER VISexual Violation: Reducing the Risk and Early Detection Sexual Trauma Symptoms Reducing the Risk of Sexual WoundsWhat Is Sexual Violation? Steps Caregivers Can Take to Decrease Children’s Susceptibility Games for Kids to Practice Making Boundaries Why Most Children Don’t Tell: Making It Safe for Them to Tell You Date Rape and Other Teen Issues CHAPTER VIISeparation, Divorce and Death: Helping Your Child Move through the Grieving ProcessSymptoms of Grief versus Symptoms of Trauma Two Views of Divorce: Rosy or Dark?Surviving Divorce: A Guide to Preserving Your Child’s Wholeness Helping Your Child Grieve Dealing with the Death of a Pet Steps That Help Children Resolve Their Grief Exercise: Grief Recovery CHAPTER VIIIGuerrilla Warfare in Our Neighborhoods: The Real Battle to Protect Kids from Terror Models for Change in Hospitals and Medical Centers A Peek at a Model Family-Centered Children’s HospitalCommunity Crisis Intervention A New Model for Crisis Debriefing at School NotesBibliography Additional Resources About the Authors Foundation for Human Enrichment