Self-care is an unselfish act that allows a person to maintain good health and optimal wellness. By engaging in self-care strategies, you can combat secondary traumatic stress and enhance your relationships and interactions with children and families. As a caregiver, for you to foster this critical relationship with children you must first take care of yourself. A strong, healthy, stable relationship with a caregiver that provides love and support, helps children learn that the world is a safe place to learn and grow. One of the most important influences on a child’s development and their ability to overcome adversity is the presence of a positive, supportive, stable caregiver.

Using wellness strategies throughout the day can help program staff to be more mindful of how their behavior influences the children and students in their rooms.

For example, think about how children and youth who have experienced trauma may react to raised voices and harsh words from a stressed adult. In Lesson One, the CAPPD (calm, attuned, present, predictable, and don't) model was explored regarding ways to manage our own stress and reactions. Program staff should understand children’s individual trauma triggers including how their behavior can trigger trauma responses in children and youth. These trauma reminders may lead to intense emotions and behaviors in children and youth. Potential triggers can include noises, smells, temperature, visual scenes, physical sensations, locations, seasons, or certain times of day. A trigger can be defined as a stimulus that sets off a memory of a traumatic experience. Awareness of our Behavior and its ImpactĬhildren and adults that have been exposed to trauma often experience “trauma reminders” or “triggers” during their interactions with people and the environment. Awareness of our own behavior and its impact on children and youth and creating a self-care plan that prioritizes wellness helps decrease the impact of secondary traumatic stress and creates a positive working environment for you, your coworkers, and the children and adolescents you serve. When working with children and youth who experience trauma, the risk of secondary traumatic stress is high. What happened that day to make you feel good mentally, emotionally, physically, socially, spiritually, and professionally? In Lesson Three, you learned that the work environment has a strong impact on personal wellness, especially in child care centers, preschools, and primary schools. This does not mean that everything went perfectly that day, but that you left feeling hopeful and with energy. Imagine you wake up, go to work, and have the best day ever.

Caregiver self care checklist