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DEL.ICIO.USHow do you help calm kids rattled by severe weather?
One storm down, many more months to go…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Theresa is beginning to feel better. She will be back on the blog next week! Keith Still is filling in today.
For the first time in 2009 - and a little earlier in the year than usual - severe weather ripped through north Georgia, spawning thunderstorms and tornadoes, downing trees, and scaring the britches off of my children.
Over the years, we have tried to stress to our girls that their personal safety is the only thing they should worry about in emergency situations like tornadoes or a fire. We just want them to get to their safe spot - whether that is out of a burning house or in the basement away from all windows and doors.
If a tornado warning is issued for any part of metro Atlanta, however, the first thing they do is start packing their belongings. The entire family has packed less for a two-week vacation than our kids have packed for a potential tornado emergency. Whenever they start bringing down bags of stuffed animals, I remind them that “stuff” can be replaced and tell them we’re not taking all of that into the basement. If the threat isn’t imminent, I try to distract them with a game. If the weather turns severe overnight, we break out the sleeping bags and let them “camp” where it’s safe.
My kids didn’t pack anything on Wednesday evening, mainly because they didn’t hear any warnings until the storm cell was almost upon us. I noticed the wind picking up, turned on the TV and saw we were in the immediate path. I told the girls to go on to the basement. They had enough time to grab our new puppy. The power went off as we descended the stairwell, and the unexpected darkness frightened them. My five-year-old cried the entire time, shaking with panic that the house was going to be destroyed, that Daddy wasn’t home and that all of her stuffed animals could be gone in an instant.
Throughout our short 10-15 minute basement exile, I could tell how nervous even the older kids were. I spoke calmly, reminded them they’re exactly where they should be in a situation like this and told them that we would all be fine.
Within minutes, the sky was clearing, and we went back upstairs. We were fortunate. The wind blew a couple of small limbs down in our yard, and we lost power for about half an hour.
With the first storm of the year behind them, my kids just wanted the power to stay off long enough for us to dine by candlelight. (Even though the lights were back on by supper, we still lit the eight candles they had put on the dinner table.) Now, we just have to get through March, April, May, June….
How well do your children handle severe storms? What do you do to help them cope? How do you make them appreciate that their safety is really the only important thing in emergency situations? Do you practice emergency escape drills or tornado drills to better prepare your family for the real thing?
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By Kathy
February 20, 2009 8:14 AM | Link to this
Great topic Keith! I was a victim of the Dunwoody tornado in April 1998 so severe weather makes me VERY nervous. I have to dig very deep to keep myself calm around Little E (31/2)when “Mr. Thunder” as she calls it, starts to rumble. My husband keeps a good eye on me to gauge my nervousness when the bad weather starts. I don’t want my daughter to pick up on my fear so I keep busy while he tends to her. He will just explain to Little E that Mr. Thunder might hang around for a while and it will rain some. He tells her that if the rain and thunder get too loud, we will have to go to the basement to play for a while. Wednesday night she was more concerned about who the man was that was talking on Mommy’s weather radio. Fortunately things did not get ugly in Lawrenceville and we did not have to go to the basement.
BTW….if you do not have a weather radio get one. The night of the 1998 tornado I did not have one, but just happened to have fallen asleep in front of the news. The storm-shy dog woke up 5 minutes before David Chandley on Channel 2 news said the tornado was coming. The dog and I huddled in the bathroom and listened to 3 large oaks crash onto the roof. It was the most terrifying 2 minutes of my life and 11 years later the fear is still there, although not quite as bad. Now I have a radio and a basement as well as a healthy respect for mother nature!
By JJ
February 20, 2009 8:21 AM | Link to this
If we remain calm, our kids will see that we are ok, and they will be ok.
When you freak out, your kids freak too and that’s not good. We are the adults and we need to be in control at all times. We pass our fears onto the kids who look to us to be strong.
I have an “emergency” box we grab if we need to run down to the basement. There are candles, a lantern and a radio all in the box.
I’m just afraid of not being able to get all my animals in time.
By motherjanegoose
February 20, 2009 8:44 AM | Link to this
Parents need to have a plan. A first step for us: we have purchased those plug in the wall flashlights because ( previously) we were scrambling to find flashlights and then the batteries were dead LOL. Costco has a 2 pack that is really nice!
Here is something else parents need to know about: FIRE SAFETY… When children are in school, they practice fire drills but most families have not discussed this with their children: what they would do when they might have a fire at home.
I have a unit that includes the firefighter in Community Helpers and 90% of the children tell me STOP DROP AND ROLL…a good thing but if they are not on fire…they need to know where there family should go: have a pre-determined fire safety meeting place.
Practice with your children. Set off the smoke alarm so they will know what it sounds like ( no problem for me as I have done it cooking MANY times….HAHAHA!)
Some parents tell me: I do not want to frighten my children. I AM frightened when so many children tell me they will “hide under my bed…”if they have a fire at their house.
Not sure if the chances are more likely for a fire to strike or a tornado, as the house behind us burned last summer and during the 1998 tornado…the house at the end of the block was hit with a tree.
Parents…practice a fire safety drill with your children ( designate your meeting place: such as the mailbox)…the chances of a fire striking a house is stronger than one striking school but most families have never outlined what their children should do at home!
By Becky
February 20, 2009 8:46 AM | Link to this
My two little ones went thru Katrina in 2005 when they were 3..They are getting over their fear of storms, so we just try to keep the very busy when the weather gets bad…The boy always wants to watch the weather channel to know whats going on, so we do let him do that..
They both have something to keep with them too cuddle with & the first thing that they want to do is take a matress into the bathroom..Guess (so far) we;ve been lucky to not have to worry to much about it this year..
By Whisperer
February 20, 2009 9:46 AM | Link to this
If the parents stay calm, the children will do the same. Keep your s—t together and don’t show panic - make a game out of it - count the seconds between lightning and thunderclaps, for instance. This even works with animals - soon after I got my new puppy there was a terrific thunderstorm - my dog looked at me after the thunder and I said (with an upbeat, goofy-talking-to-an-animal-voice), wow, (dog’s name) - that was something wasn’t it? My dog looked back and me, put his ears up and wagged his tail as if to say, “yeah, daddy, that was something!”. He’s never panicked during storms.
By BC
February 20, 2009 10:34 AM | Link to this
I know this blog is about storms, but I see where several people have posted comments about fires as well. Please, if you talk to your children about fires, be sure and tell them not to hide and that the funny looking guys in the masks are there to help them! Take your children to your neighborhood firestation and have them talk to the fire fighters and look at there gear…So many children are afraid of the noise that the air tanks produce & they hide from the people that are trying to save them!
By lynn
February 20, 2009 10:43 AM | Link to this
I wish my teens were more afraid. It was all I could do to drag them in the basement and then I got the “gosh mom” attitudes and we had tornados spinning everywhere around us.
By Becky
February 20, 2009 11:25 AM | Link to this
BC, we’ve had that talk..The boy LOVES anything to do with firemen/trucks, so I’m hoping that won’t be a problem if a fire ever happens..In fact, he’s already tried to get me to “make” another door in the wall, just so we can get out..
By Lori
February 20, 2009 12:13 PM | Link to this
Just stay calm. My 5 year old was stressed a bit this week, but I calmly explained the reason we were watching the news, explained why we may need to go to the basement. A lot of parents don’t think kids can handle details, but I disagree. My son does better if I give him a straight and honest explanation. I told him that tornados can damage your house, so you would go downstairs in case the upstairs gets damaged. He showed a fear of thunder, so I simply explained to him what thunder actually is. You’d be surprised how a simple scientific explanation can calm a child.
By FCM
February 20, 2009 12:35 PM | Link to this
Dang, I thought we voted to have Friday be ‘Fun Friday’ with no serious topic.
Well since we insist on having a rational discussion today:
My children are fine with thunder and lightening (not the severe stuff) if they are inside a building. They will remind each other to be very quiet if we are in the car during such weather. Mom does not need the added distraction of their squabbles while driving in rain. If we are outside (summer storm at pool) they jump around excitedly telling everyone we have to go home fast.
During severe weather…especially if they hear the tornado siren…they will grab books, blankets, pillows and a toy and head to the bathroom. They know I will keep them updated and join them if necessary. (I am watching the sky, tv and opening windows/doors). Then they will spend time recalling the night they slept in the bathroom. They really did too, in 2005 or 06! The storm was very nosiy but they fell asleep in the bathroom floor (on top of a pile of blankets). I tried to wake them when the sky cleared but they were sound asleep. So I stetched in the hall outside the door and slept too.
My neighbor just got a new house. She doesn’t have tv and thus called me Wednesday to see if the storm was bad. I was watching the report and told her it would be fine everything was SOUTH. So then she asked, but if the siren goes off what do I do? I told her where in her house she and her child should wait it out.
My children do not panic in storms. Probably because I do not show panic in storms (or most other adverse situations). However, a few people can attest to the fact that I really hate thunder. Even “Thunder Rolls” can make jumpy on the inside.
By Claire
February 20, 2009 12:43 PM | Link to this
I’m a college student, and don’t have kids. As a 21 year old, I still freak out when there is a tornado warning. I have no idea why- possibly the tornado warning that happened when I was in fifth grade when my class was in the gym and we had to run inside- while simultaneously getting hit by hail. My roommates think its funny how scared I get- I grab my stuffed animal (I know, a 21 year old with a stuffed animal…) and park myself in front of the TV. I hope my future husband will be good with storms- because God knows I’m not!
By Blitzen
February 20, 2009 1:09 PM | Link to this
You’re right, Lori - I explained to my son that thunder is nothing to be afraid of - it’s just noise. Lightning however, I told him, can burn the hair off your head, electrocute you, barbecue your pets, knock down huge trees, and set the house on fire. He is much calmer now.
By AJ
February 20, 2009 2:15 PM | Link to this
Step out of your freak-out zone, learn about the science of weather, and teach your kids something useful. NASA, NWS, and NOAA all have kid-friendly weather sites that explain the processes of earth heating, air mass movement, and how weather systems are formed. Of course you should have an emergency plan, but enjoy storms for their sheer awesomeness.
By livinatl
February 20, 2009 2:40 PM | Link to this
We lived thru the Henry County tornado a few years back. My son knows how to use the weather radio and we have a box of supplies including flashlights, lanterns, radio and snacks.
By SuzeyQ
February 20, 2009 2:45 PM | Link to this
Chief Meteorologist Katie Horner, of Kansas City, MO kctv5.com has written a
book,”Brainstorming”.
She is a mother of young children. It “combines the science of meteorology with the psychology that you need to help children through severe weather”, said Katie. Visit the website, and ask your local librarian to consider making the book available to read with your children.
By Campos
February 23, 2009 12:01 PM | Link to this
Katrina. Some folks never learn. My idiot DIL took the kids back to the NO area last year after draining us all dry of money and saying that she would never put her kids in that kind of danger again. Becky, at least you are looking out for your little ones.
By Future Life Fire Safety Educator
March 2, 2009 11:26 AM | Link to this
“motherjanegoose”, great advice about the fire drills. I know several fire fighters who will, in the middle of the night when their kids are sleeping, set off the smoke alarms! Gives the kids a much better perspective when they’re woken out of a sound sleep and its dark out. One think I’d like to mention, though. For many years we’ve suggested using the mailbox as a family’s meeting place. Here’s the problem I have with that. Most mailboxes are right near the road. An emergency vehicle coming in may not see a very small person with batman pajamas on and a tragic accident can occur. When I teach fire safety classes, I suggest picking a next-door neighbor’s house on the same side of the street and having their front porch be the meeting spot. I tell them to bang on the door, ring the bell, anything to get their neighbors awake! This accomplishes two things: 1. Keeps the kids away from the road. 2. Houses are so close together these days that if one catches fire, structures next door are at risk too! Getting those neighbors awake could end up saving THEIR lives! Also, don’t forget those fire escape ladders for multi-story dwellings. One in each bedroom is a good idea. Open the box and make sure the ladder is already put together. During a fire is not the best time to find out that “assembly is required”. Also, do not be afraid to keep a fire extinguisher in your bedroom. Not necessarily because your love life is smoking hot, but because it may be needed to help you escape!
If your neighborhood has an annual kids party or cookout, contact the fire department about scheduling a fire engine to come out. If asked, the fire fighters will do their “Friendly Fire Fighter” routine where one of them puts on their turnout gear and the kids get to touch it, hug him, etc. while they hear the sound of the breathing apparatus.
Stay safe everyone!