Preparing Kids for Hurricanes Hurricane season is already gearing up as we kept an eye on Elsa. Here are some tips from KidsHealth® on how to help prepare your family and help your kids deal with the stress and emotions of an impending and possible storm. ________________________________________ Hurricanes can be scary — for grown-ups and kids alike. Kids learn how to respond to situations based on the behaviors and attitudes of those around them. Here are some tips to help them — and you — be ready during hurricane season.
Talk About Hurricanes Kids might be confused about what a hurricane is, so use simple age-appropriate descriptions of what to expect if one is coming your way. For a younger child, you might say, “A hurricane is a tropical storm with very strong winds and lots of rain, lightning, and thunder.” It’s also important to tell kids that grown-ups will do their best to keep them safe. Try to Remain Calm Yourself Kids can easily sense the emotions of those around them. When a parent seems overly upset or worried, this can make a child’s own fears or worries worse. Let Kids Help With Pre-storm Preparations Keeping them busy can help keep kids’ minds off of their worries. Helping prepare in ageappropriate ways also can increase a child’s sense of control over the situation. To involve your kids: Prepare a family disaster emergency kit. Kids can help collect canned goods and get flashlights ready. Have your kids help bring outdoor items inside. Discuss your family’s disaster plan together. Will you need to evacuate — and what would that look like? Which grown-ups will do what? This
22 July 2021| PB Parenting |
