Why Trauma Shows Up in the Body First

Young children usually show trauma in their bodies and behaviour before they can put it into words.

A two-minute read, three things to try, for children under 7.

Where to start

Allow the regression without making it the topic.
Lift the duvet at three in the morning, make room, and don’t discuss it the next morning.
Trust that, in most families, children start moving forward again within a season.
If your child was dry at night for more than six months and has started wetting again, see your GP as well, because a urine infection, constipation or diabetes can set it off; the tip “When Your Child Starts Wetting Again” says what to watch for.

The rest of the tip, and why it works, is in the library.

Sources

Anna Freud Centre, parent-facing resources on developmental trauma; Karen Treisman, writing on felt safety and trauma in young children; NHS, Bedwetting in children (reviewed April 2023); NICE, Bedwetting in under 19s (CG111), recommendations 1.3.8, 1.3.9 and 1.3.11

It goes with

Trauma in Childhood. For parents whose child has been through something hard, or whose family has.

The first chapter you open here is free to read in full.

Free on this subject

Trauma. What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.
Emotional regulation. What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.

The rest of the library

The Parent Book is a library written by therapists: chapters on the situations parents bring to our therapy rooms most often, quick tips for tonight, things to do together, and every sheet to print. One subscription opens all of it, from the day you join.

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If you need help right now

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If you need help right now

Published by Kensington Square Therapy. Company No. 16707111. Written by therapists registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). This page is not therapy, and not a substitute for professional support. The full library is at theparentbook.com.