Natural disasters such as floods, forest fires, tornadoes, and hurricanes can feel overwhelming, even for adults. While you may have an emergency preparedness plan in place, the lack of control you may feel over unexpected events can sometimes be difficult to process. That’s even more true for children, who don’t have the experience and perspective to know that these events are exceedingly rare. If your community has recently experienced a natural disaster, your child may be coming to you with questions or concerns. To address their curiosity and calm any fears, here are four ways to talk to your child about natural disasters.
1. Provide Reassurance
When you’re speaking to your child about natural disasters, it’s important to communicate confidence during the conversation. Children pick up on subtle nonverbal signals, and you definitely want them to walk away from the conversation feeling safe. When discussing complex topics, always follow your child’s lead. They may need a hug instead of explanations of warm fronts and cold fronts. Or, if they’re feeling curious, a simple explanation of S.T.E.M. concepts may be appropriate. Trust your instincts, and err on the side of comfort. Big events can be destabilizing, and your child may seek the solid, warm presence you can provide.
2. Give Them a Role to Play
Some children really benefit from being able to take concrete action in the wake of a disaster. This can be as simple as going online to donate money to the Red Cross to help families who have lost homes. Or, if they are worried about your family’s safety, bring them with you to stock up on bottled water, flashlights, canned goods, chargers, and first aid supplies for your Emergency Kit. Invite your children to include toys or games they might like in the kit. If you do have a storm warning, and you’re headed to the basement or interior room, alleviate some worry by letting them play with the games in the kit. Distraction and entertainment are both powerful tools against worry and stress.
3. Free Them From Worry
It’s never a child’s job to worry or feel undue responsibility. Free them from worry by reminding them that the adults in their lives are there to help them feel safe. To help build trust with first responders, consider a short visit to the local fire station. Meeting your community’s emergency personnel can let children know that there are adults ready to help out in case of a disaster. If your child continues to struggle with obsessive worries, it’s ok to bring in a professional to help. Therapists, psychologists, and licensed counselors all have experience with helping little ones cope with big emotions.
4. Ask Them to Look for the Helpers
After every challenging event, there are courageous individuals and organizations who step up to help a community return to normal. Encourage your child to identify those who are helping out when an emergency hits. Find YouTube videos or local news clips that show volunteers helping to clean up towns and cities. If your child loves stories, consider reading the book “Lily: A True Story of Courage and the Joplin Tornado” together. This sweet narrative follows a very brave puppy who uses her nose to locate survivors after a tornado hits a small town. You can emphasize the fact that helpers can be found everywhere — even in a kennel!
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