Radio Commentary
Whether it's a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake far
away, or a fire or shooting closer to home, parents and other caregivers
must meet the challenge of reassuring children during times of
crisis.
How caregivers respond has a huge impact on how
children will react.
To help, a booklet from the American Academy of Pediatrics
and Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute, called When Terrible Things Happen: A Parent’s Guide to Talking with Their
Children, offers some good advice.
For example, infants and toddlers, ages zero to three, can’t understand
how a crisis or a loss has changed their environment.
But they can recognize and respond to changes in adult
behavior.
The best advice for infants and toddlers is to keep a routine and
resume normal activities as soon as possible.
Pre-school children, ages three to five, may not talk about
their feelings openly. Talking while playing games can help children of this
age group express their thoughts more easily.
School-aged children, ages five to
12, have more understanding of how and why things happen and will want to ask
questions. Parents can help by talking, listening and answering their questions
with honesty and directness.
We cannot control crises or catastrophes. We can only
control how we react to them, especially with our children.
