Natural Disasters and Kids

Kids are highly sensitive to their environment and any severe change affects their psyche deeply. News of hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, cyclones, landslides, etc makes them anxious and confused. They feel threatened when they hear about mass devastation caused due to a natural calamity. 

 At such time, several questions pop up in a kid’s mind and if answered timely, he or she can feel secure and prepared for any adverse situation. It is better to have an open discussion on these tough issues and to educate the kid about them. 

Some kids may ask about the reasons behind these natural calamities while some others may get scared. Still, some others may not bother themselves with such issues. Awareness about a natural calamity is the first step. This is the best way to calm down the child and satiate his curiosity. 

Secondly, reassure the child that natural calamities do not occur often and it is a rare phenomenon. This will help in removing his fears and restore his confidence. 

 The kids should be educated about the ways they can respond to such calamities. Like, it is better to come out in open in case of earthquake. In addition, a proper guidance in school and at home will help the child to prepare for the worst. 

Parents are the best guide. Their own response to a given situation set the benchmark for their kids. Therefore, the coping capacity of kids is directly related to that of parents.