No matter where you live, severe weather impacts everyone. Depending on the age of your child, the year ahead might be their first real experience with a big weather event. Preparing and talking with your child about severe weather and the possible consequences that such a weather event might bring is important. You can reassure your child by having a dialogue with them about how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters.
In this blog, we will help guide you through how to structure these conversations so you and your child feel safe and secure.
Provide Reassurance
Extreme weather is any weather that falls outside of normal patterns. This can include heavy winds, thunderstorms, floods, heat waves, tornados, hurricanes, hail, and blizzards. Children who have experienced extreme weather events may get nervous or scared that the same event will happen again. Remember to stay calm when talking about a potential weather event heading your way. Children look to you for clues about how to feel. Use your face, voice, and behavior to show, ‘We’re safe and we will be okay.’
Educate Them About the Weather
Help children feel some power and control in relation to weather by checking the weather forecast together to see what’s happening. Go to the weather channel website or a local news resource to help your children understand in simple terms what the radar shows and how long the weather event is likely to last.
Teach Them How to Stay Safe
Do you have an emergency kit prepared if severe weather hits? Involving your children in creating an emergency kit can be educational and fun. Spend some time packing water bottles, blankets, and flashlights, and explain why each item is important in case of an emergency. Make sure your children know where to find the kit in case the moment arises when it’s needed.
Children also take comfort in knowing what to do when a big weather event hits. Before the next storm heads your way, prepare where you are going to go if you have to evacuate or seek shelter. Once you have your plan in place, share it with your family.
The Gardner School Offers Safety and Reassurance
In The Gardner School classrooms, we encourage all developmentally appropriate learning that meets children where they are emotionally and intellectually. We love to talk with students daily about the weather, like the temperature, sky conditions, rain, snow, and more. Having weather conversations each day can help children better understand bigger weather events. We offer safety and reassurance as preschoolers learn to navigate the world around them. To learn why parents choose The Gardner School to help their children to grow and learn, contact us to learn more or to schedule a virtual tour.