Tony Aponte copyright 2005 Unlocking hope for children who have incarcerated parents: Module Two...

Tony Aponte copyright 2005

Unlocking hope for children who have incarcerated parents: Module Two

University of Phoenix

Tony Aponte


Manifested Behaviors

Absence from school Withdrawn behaviors Outbursts of rage Hygiene concerns Excess hunger Signs of financial loss More tired Less responsive

Distrustful of others, even those they are bonded with

Feelings of being different

Decrease in quality of schoolwork and homework


Absence from school As sleep problems arise,

children may become sick or need to sleep during the day

The other parent may be too preoccupied with the situation to argue with the child.

The child may want to avoid verbal attacks from other children.

Attendance suffers.


Attendance, How you can help.

Children need to be told they are missed when they are not at school.

Children need to be warmly greeted when they are at school.


Withdrawn behaviors When the world

becomes overwhelming children often withdraw from it.

Children often need a quiet space and time to de-stress.

Daydreaming occurs more frequently.


Withdrawn behaviors, How you can help. Continue to include the

child in one on one conversations, even if you need to carry on both sides of the conversation for a while.

Leave the child positive notes, on papers.

Make brief positive statements about the child to third parties, ensuring the child can overhear.


Outbursts of rage Lack of information and

control creates stress in children

Loss of a support system provides the child with a positive outlet for anger and other feelings

Eventually the child can not handle the pressure and may demonstrate outbursts of rage, often unrelated to what is happening around them at the time.


Rage, How you can help. Provide quiet times and spaces

for all students to be able to clear their minds.

Allow one on one opportunities for children to talk about feelings.

Discuss feelings in general and help identify feelings as normal, but not always easy.

Involve more sensory integration into classroom activities because the calm children and reduce stress.


Hygiene concerns Financial problems may

prevent laundry from being done as often

Time concerns may prevent remaining parent from providing the child with adequate assistance and monitoring

The child may not have the self-help skills they need to take care of themselves.


Hygiene concerns, How you can help. Promote hand washing. Add activities that involve

water and soap (bubbles, soap carving, etc.).

Teach self-help skills Ask children to brainstorm

on solutions to unrelated situations, nurturing creative thinking.


Excess hunger

There may be fewer resources for food.

Food may be of lower quality and nutritional value

Adults may be unavailable to prepare meals


Excess hunger, How you can help. Add more cooking

projects to the curriculum. Teach the children about

things they can make for themselves, like sandwiches or toast.

Provide small snacks in the classroom.


Signs of financial loss

Children may not have the money needed to attend outings

Children may have dirty or worn out clothing

Phone, electricity and water may be turned off.


Financial loss, How to help. Provide parents with

phone numbers of local resources such as food banks, churches and government agencies.

Do not call for the parent, they need to be empowered by involvement in the process.


More tired

When routines are upset, sleep patterns change.

Children may not be able to sleep at home and may be tired in school

Children may seem less alert.


Tiredness, How to help Be understanding and patient. Provide short rest periods

throughout the day. Sometimes 5 minutes of rest is helpful.

Provide quiet areas of the room for kids to study in.

Provide children with a reasonable amount of school work to complete.

Talk with the parent, who may not even be aware how tired the child is.


Less responsive

Children’s worries are not left at home and they will process information throughout the day.

Children may not have adequate quiet time at home to study or complete homework.


Responsiveness, How to help. Use eye contact,

proximity and appropriate touch to connect with the child.

Say positive things out loud and negative things privately.

If the child looks uncomfortable with public praise make positive comments through a third party.


Distrustful of others, even those they are bonded with Since children can not

count on parents to care for them, it is hard for them to trust secondary caregivers such as teachers.

Children may strike out at those closest to them because it feels safe to do so.


Distrust, How to help Trust takes time to build,

be patient. Be consistent in routines,

structure, rules and expectations.

Provide a safe environment for all children.

Use reflective listening when communicating with children.


Feelings of being different

When feelings become bottled up children lose a connection to those around them.

Children who are teased and taunted may begin to internalize that there is something wrong with them.


Feeling different, How to help. Provide positive

outlets for feelings. Discuss and identify

feelings without judgment.

Talk about differences and similarities amongst people and object throughout the day.


Decrease in quality of schoolwork and homework It is difficult for

children to focus in a chaotic environment.

It is difficult to receive the support and guidance needed when other people are highly stressed.

Papers are more easily lost in a disorganized environment.


Schoolwork, How to help Use team projects and peer

tutoring when possible, allowing children to learn from each other.

Be sure the work load you place on your student’s is reasonable.

Give over-achievers extra credit projects as opposed to increasing the work load on all children.

When there is extra time available in the classroom allow children to start homework assignments


End of Module Two proceed to resource section two

University of Phoenix

Tony Aponte

Tony Aponte copyright 2005 Unlocking hope for children who have incarcerated parents: Module Two...

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