Children who see dead body for the first time?

1. 49

   chanrothposted 12 years ago

   I have a sister whose 9yrs old. Today I took her to a friend birthday party and later that evening, I was on my way home to my mom house. There was a tragic scene where my little sister saw a murder happening and this individual was burn to his death. For the very first time she sees it. How can I do to help her eased this? I myself have seen murders happening at age of 8, I seen my friend got killed, a man shot to death, and so much more that a one chapter book can't say it all. For me, coping it is to write my story, but my little sister has a different mind set so I do not know a way, she had a panic attack...

   replyreport
   1. 86

      IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I never saw a dead person until I was 17 and nursing.
      
      Over the years I have seen many dead people, and people die a natural death.
      
      Probably the first time I saw a real live death through murder or accident was n the Twins Towers, televised live.
      
      I experienced the loss of people close to me through horrific deaths, but never witnessed it.
      
      (((chanroth))) big hugs to you and your wee sister. You yourself look young to be coping with not only this incident, but the earlier ones you witnessed.
      
      I grew up in an isolated area where no murders or serious accidents tended to happen, though I do still remember to this day a motorcyclist being brought into my Dad's surgery screaming in pain, with his tibula projecting through his leather leggings.
      
      Not life threatening but painful.
      
      Give your little sister lots of cuddles in the coming days. Encourage her to talk about the experience. Go for any counselling available, as JC suggests, but her comfort comes from her mom, her sister, her brother, anyone close, at this time.
      The counsellor is there to help her make sense of what she saw, to compartmentalize it in her mind, where it has a place, but is not THE place, if you understand what I mean.
      
      All our memories can be considered to be like a beehive.
      
      Everything in a beehive is ordered and compartmental.
      
      We can put things, horrible things, in a compartment. It is still there, but it no longer bothers us, unless we think about it a lot.
      
      In which case, we need to learn to tune our mind into better things to think about.
      This is also were counselling comes in.

      replyreport
2. 64

   jcmayer777posted 12 years ago

   I would personally suggest counseling.  She's very young and to witness someone being burned to death could have a long term negative impact on her.
   
   If you cannot afford counseling, I would strongly urge you to contact the public health department and her school to see if they have any counselors at no cost.  If not, you could also make a call to your county courthouse to see what kind of services they might have.  I'd be willing to bet that if you look around, you can find help at not cost.
   
   
   Don't ignore this.  Take an offensive approach now to try to limit the long term issues she'll have.  Give your sis lots of hugs and kisses and let her know you are there for her.

   replyreport
3. 49

   chanrothposted 12 years ago

   Hi jcmayer777, thank you so much for helping! I appreciate it! I hope counseling would help her...she is more comfortable in the arm of her mother...and I have already told mom and dad what happen. Mom sang her a lullaby to sleep and it did calm her down...I hope she could sleep through the night without waking up screaming. Tomorrow I will take action and see if there is anything available...Thank you again!

   replyreport