I saw this on Bluesky and was very moved. It's hard living with children who were hurt in the most awful ways and still respond from that hurt - because that's what happens with early trauma - it impacts the way we see the world, the way we feel, the way we respond. Things get better but when they're triggered they can be right back in that trauma and see those trauma responses in full force.
Content warning - powerful presentation of the internal experience of childhood trauma. A poem written and performed by Jessica Beaumont. I don't know anything about the author (I've tried to find information but I can't see anything).
An incredibly moving piece - and written from the perspective of the child it captures both the essence of trauma and what it means to be trauma informed and trauma responsive. See past the rudeness, the rage, the kicking and the screaming, the running away. See instead the hurt, the betrayal, the fear, the vulnerability, the shattered self.
Know that the body remembers but the mind can't join up the dots - asking "Why?" is pointless and saying "How would you feel if it happened to you?" is just unthinkable. Wonder what happened - not the events but the internal experience. Wonder if that's what happening right now. Don't add to the sense of being alone, rotten and worthless. Stay warm and present to the experience. That's what it means to 'see' the child.
Getting it wrong is inevitable - we're all human - acknowledge it, own it without excuse, and try to repair the hurt.