• Behavioral Issues
• Child Care
• Cleaning Up After a Storm
• Communication
• Deciding To Stay Or Go
• Evacuation Shelters
• First Aid & Medical
• Flood Center
• Food and Water
• Help the Relief Effort
• Insurance Center
• Lighting & Power
• Pet Care
• Preparing Your Home
• Special Needs
• Storms Explained

After a Disaster: Communicating with Children

Disaster can be very disruptive for children, since their lives are often filled with routine. Make sure to listen to the fears of your children in the post-disaster period, and try to integrate some type of routine into their lives, whether it may be establishing chores or setting aside certain times for activities like reading or playing cards. Below are some helpful suggestions to help reduce a child's stress level during this difficult time.

 

Discussing Disaster

• First and foremost, communicate with children about fear and anxiety.
• Encourage children to talk. Children should speak about the disaster and ask questions. If possible, try to include the whole family in a group discussion.
• Explain the situation as best you can, using a calm tone. Tell them what will happen next. It is best to get down to the child’s eye level to speak to him or her.
• Help children understand what causes their fear and anxiety. Reassure them firmly, with a loving manner, that everything will be ok.
• If a child is unresponsive to continued attempts, it may be best to contact a mental health specialist or clergy member.

 

Establishing a Routine

• Keep the family together. If you must locate shelter outside of your community, stay together as much as possible. It’ll help to make children a part of what you are doing, and children need as much routine as possible during this time, even if it just means having their parent(s) present.
• Children should be included in recovery activities, like chores. Try to get them back to a feeling of normalcy.
• In addition, seek out organizations that offer activities that can educate children about disaster, like the Red Cross.

 

Additional Resources

• For more information about communicating with children and helping children cope with disaster, visit the Child Care section of OneStorm.