Grace is not looking forward to Christmas.
It’s been a hard year. Mum and Dad split up a few months ago. And things were pretty bad for a while before that. Dad was using drugs and he hit Mum. Grace and her little brother would hide when that happened, but they still saw and heard a lot of horrible things. It got unbearable during those weeks when none of them could leave the house. After that, Dad didn’t live with them anymore.
Grace still feels unsafe. Because of the things she’s seen and heard. Because of the loss and change she’s experienced. She loves Dad, but she’s also scared. She doesn’t understand how the Dad who used to tell them silly knock-knock jokes turned into that angry, hurtful man. Does he still love her? Will she get to see him over the holidays?
With your help Grace can get her Christmas wish. It’s a simple wish, to be safe, to feel loved and to be with her family.
Click here to help give children like Grace a safe and happy Christmas.
Grace is not looking forward to Christmas.
“For Grace, it’s not going to be a happy holiday. Not unless someone steps in and helps her feel safe again.”
What are some of the things that can help Grace feel safe?
- A Safety Plan, so if she feels unsafe she knows what to do, how to ask for help and who to ask. Safety planning can help Grace and other children exposed to violence make sense of what they’ve been through and what they feel.
- 0800 WHATS UP, our helpline for children and young people. It’s a safe place to talk about anything that Grace and children like her can turn to for support. They can call any day of the week, even Christmas Day, to talk with a trained counsellor.
- Children affected by violence, or other trauma, need at least one adult who understands what they have been through and how best to support them. Trauma can affect the way children behave, make them act out or withdraw. Giving Grace’s mum the skills and knowledge to recognise what is going on and how to help will her children will them feel safer and happier this Christmas.
- A Safe Space to rebuild her relationship with Dad. Children have a right to know their parents, but also a right to be safe. Sometimes, because of violence, drug abuse or mental distress those rights conflict. By meeting in a child-friendly and carefully supervised space, Grace and Dad can spend time together, even share a small Christmas celebration.