HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL AND HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD

If you have a child who is in college and feels anxious in this very scary moment, what can you do?

First, validate their anxiety.  This is truly a scary moment, particularly if you are Jewish, have an association with Israel, or, in fact, if you are human.

Listen with an open heart. Ask them what they are particularly fearful of, worried about, what is their particular source of concern.

Do not try to solve or pretend that “everything will be ok” because it may not be. Ask them what might be helpful to them, or how you can be helpful to them. Just listening might be your superpower.

Suggest support from community, from resources on campus. Hillel, Chabbad, and other Jewish organizations can provide the community support where your child can find refuge and comfort. Being with peers experiencing the same fears and anxieties and learning from them how they are coping can be extraordinarily beneficial. The campus counseling center, off campus therapy, or group therapy can also provide much needed support.

We’re all being inundated with images of terror and it’s hard to avoid doomscrolling. Giving ourselves permission for moments to disconnect, to do our work/homework, to engage in activities that bring us joy – these are important to return to, even while we remain mindful of what is happening in the world. We can contribute and participate in the world and also develop ways in which to cope. That is what your child must find at this moment - -ways that work for them.

I wish you, your child, and the world, peace.