Quakes traumatise kids | Canterbury News | Local News in Canterbury

More than 10,000 people have sought help from Relationship Services, including many parents to deal with their traumatised children following Christchurch's quakes.

Relationship Services Whakawhanaungatanga clinical leader Pablo Godoy said each child reacted different to the quakes.

Reactions included bed wetting, soiling themselves, tantrums, disruption to sleep and eating patterns, fearing places they had never been scared off before, returning to younger behaviour and nightmares, among others.

"It's a really common reaction to stress. It doesn't mean your child is different and beyond the norm. The reason they're doing it is because they're normal. It's not the greatest way of looking at it but it's the reality of it. Children do act out, it's their way of saying something isn't right," he said.

Mr Godoy said nightmares were often a way of children trying to comprehend what had happened.

"Trying to put the jigsaw pieces together, revisiting the experience or something generic to do with the experience."

"One of the key signs to look out for is any disruption in who they are, their personality before compared to after the quakes".

Mr Godoy said RSW offered parents, who he believed were the "best therapists for their children" extra support, guidance and reassurance that they were doing a "good job".

Christchurch child psychologist Justine Wilson said she had also seen "lots" of children, along with their parents, for counselling after the quakes.

"I was still working with people from the September one when the February one hit."

She said the younger the children the more she worked with parents.

"Older children are able to put a little bit more in perspective," Mrs Wilson said.

She said one of the main issues she had noticed was anxiety being away from parents and a reluctance to go to bed.

Mrs Wilson said sometimes it also had to be eliminated that the child was not taking advantage of the situation.

"Often you've got to work our if they're legitimate. Are they really, really scared or do they quite like being in mum and dad's bed?"

She said parents could often assist children's nerves by remaining calm during aftershocks.

"You're sometimes helping your children keeping your feelings to yourself."