09 Jun, 2020
For Baby’s Sake practitioners continue to work every day with mums and dads who have experienced trauma in their lives – and yet really want to make changes, to break cycles of abuse and to protect their babies and children. In a recent therapeutic session, a father was supported to understand how his use of instrumental emotions* and judgements on his co-parent was having a negative effect on their co-parenting. The episode had been triggered by a media report on COVID-19, which heightened tensions in the home resulting in the loss of focus on their baby and child. This family is on their own journey – making a transition from ‘intimate’ to a ‘co-parenting’ relationship. Our For Baby’s Sake practitioner was able to provide the dad with strategies to contain and process his emotions and restore his focus. Subsequent feedback from dad was both welcome and reassuring.
For Baby’s Sake recognises that this could have a long-term impact, potentially including developmental trauma, for babies and young children. Brenda Evans, our Therapeutic Lead, has written some specialist guidance, providing context around the risks to mental and emotional health and offering advice on providing trauma-informed and attachment-focused support to vulnerable families at this time. You can download a copy of the guidance by going to the resources section of our website.
Babies and toddlers can be emotionally overwhelmed when their sense of safety has been lost. The guidance offers tips on the signs that this might be happening and suggestions to help parents to be prepared to understand and to act. Empowering parents to make home a safe base for babies and children has rarely been more important. Parents also need to know that reaching out for support when they need it is a sign of resilience.
