Whether
it’s a hurricane, tornado, an airplane crash, an earthquake in a far-off place,
or a fire or a shooting closer to home, parents and other caregivers
must meet the challenge of reassuring children during times of
crisis.
The
way caregivers respond has a huge impact on how children will be affected.
To
help, a booklet from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the 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 thing you can do 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-age
children, five to 12 years old, have more understanding of how and why things
happen. They will want to ask questions. Parents can help by talking, listening
and answering their questions honestly and directly.
We
cannot control a natural disaster or local catastrophe. We can only control how
we react to them, especially with our children.
