Tips for helping kids stay calm during storm season

Because it’s tropical storm season I figured parents need to know as much as possible about how to handle things and keep kids calm during a storm. Here’s a great story I found online…….

Q.My family moved to South Florida recently and Fay will be our first tropical ”event.” My husband and I are a little worried about how our two kids might handle it and, with the prospect of being without electricity, it will be harder than usual to keep them distracted. Does Action Line have any ideas to share?
A.First of all, try to keep a level head. With all the rushing around to stock up on hurricane supplies, the calamitous TV newscasts and worsening weather, it’s easy to get worked up about an impending storm. But, if your children see you keeping your cool, they will, too.

Here are some tips for keeping the young ones occupied and calm before the storm:

• Don’t leave the TV on constantly: Check periodically for updates, but you don’t need to follow continuous coverage; it only heightens stress.

• Get a tracking map: Teach them how track the storm themselves. Getting a grasp of the storm’s location and intensity will empower them with some sense of control over the situation — and make it interesting. You can download a tracking map at www.nhc.noaa.gov/at_track_chart.pdf.

• Let them help around the house: Besides cleaning their own rooms (as if!), have them take inventory of hurricane equipment; fill flashlights and radios with fresh batteries; hand dad fasteners while he puts up shutters; bottle tap water for the pets. Such small — but important — tasks will keep them focused and give them a sense that they’ve had a role in protecting the family.

During and after the storm, you may be without power. Some basic entertainment should serve you well:

• You can’t go wrong with board games. And some, like Monopoly, can drag on for hours. Bonus!

• You may already have some of the kids’ required reading for school; even if they didn’t get the bookworm gene, there’s just something about reading in the dark with a flashlight that kids universally seem to love. Or, when you have some down time, read to them out loud; humor and sound effects are a plus.

• Speaking of flashlights, what’s a ghost story without one? Gather ’round after dinner and spook each other out.

• Whip out the crayons and (washable) markers to let the little ones take out their stored up energy on paper.

• Before letting the kids frolic outdoors, make sure it’s safe; downed wires, flood waters, tree limbs and other debris can pose serious dangers.

Source

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