Supporting Children After Natural Disasters
In a time of uncertainty and “breaking news,” young children are exposed to crises in their own lives and in media more than any previous generation. As an organization based in Upstate South Carolina, with a deep history of working through the Southeast, this hurricane season has reminded us of both the value of preparation and the difficulty of coping with the aftermath of a crisis. How can parents and other trusted adults help children feel safe and secure, especially when danger may have been right in their backyard? Read on to learn more about how to support children after natural disasters.
Natural disasters are a unique crisis in many ways. Much progress has been made in the last decade on identifying, responding to, and intervening on “Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)” – but these are generally experiences impacting individual families. Even babies, who may not be truly aware of what is happening, can experience traumatic stress which shapes brain development. When storms or fires occur, they impact entire communities. This stresses families in a range of different ways, from immediate threats to safety, to difficulty obtaining needs like gas and food, to the struggle of getting back to “normal” when normal is temporarily gone. A child who experiences an individual ACE, such as living in a home with untreated mental health issues, can benefit tremendously by community protective factors in their schools, sports teams, or houses of worship. When these settings are also affected by natural disasters, families may struggle even more since their network of support is unavailable.
Fortunately, experts from medical professionals to educators to even Sesame Street have created resources to navigate these difficult times. We have compiled recommendations below which can serve both families and educators:
Children will react differently based on many factors, such as age.
It can be helpful to know what to expect in how children may respond to a crisis. Sesame Workshop explains how children at different ages under 6 may react; the National Child Traumatic Stress Network has guidance for older children. Do your best to maintain whatever routines you can, which can be tremendously reassuring when other things are unpredictable. Also expect that children may have slight “regressions” in their behaviors, from requesting night lights again to teens looking for more physical affection than usual. Also know that some children may need professional supports to best recover from trauma, even if your family was not severely affected. Some children may also have a delayed response to trauma. Signs that a child may need more than just family support include signs of anxiety, not wanting to be away from parents or leave the house, ongoing sleep problems, significant behavior or mood changes such as aggression, or loss of appetite.
Limit the child’s exposure to news coverage.
Experts recommend limiting child media exposure to news coverage about the event. Children can be overwhelmed by seeing “around the clock” coverage (as can adults!). Younger children may also struggle to differentiate news outside of their area. For example, a kindergartener who experienced Hurricane Helene and came out unscathed may not have understood that media coverage the following week about Hurricane Milton’s path was in a different area. They may think their family is about to be in danger again, which can build additional stress and worry. PBS Kids has incorporated storms into several of their shows and created resources for parents to use along with them to help reassure young viewers. (see A Hurricane Comes to Sesame Street and Daniel Tiger’s A Storm Comes to the Neighborhood.)
Talk to children about what they are hearing and seeing.
It is not always possible to closely monitor children’s media, especially for older children with their own devices. If children do see the news or come across it online, watch with them and specifically ask about their questions and feelings. Children may also be hearing rumors or retellings from others at school. Adults should ask what children are hearing and work to correct any misunderstandings or misinformation.
Validate their feelings.
Validate their feelings of sadness, worry, fear, anger, or anything else. There is no one way to respond to crisis – some children may, in fact, seem to be unaffected and that is also valid. It is also appropriate for adults to let children know they are having “big feelings” too, and discuss strategies for how they handle those feelings. Adults do not need to appear invincible to make children feel safe.
Be honest, in an appropriate way.
If you have a child in your life, you likely have an intense desire to protect them from bad news or from seeing the ugly parts of the word. Unfortunately, this is not always possible, and it would not be developmentally appropriate. Be honest in a way that does not overwhelm your child with information but also does not dismiss their concerns.
Reassure children about strategies to keep them safe.
Children and adults alike respond well to being reminded of the assets and resources they have, especially when they are able to be in control of those things. Remind children about your family’s disaster safety plan. If you do not currently have one, engage your children in developing one (the AAP has a Readiness Kit that can help). Putting together a family “go bag” or a box of emergency supplies such as flashlights, batteries, shelf-stable food, and water can also be empowering. Teachers and childcare providers can use similar techniques to identify safety plans in their classroom and foster confidence among students.
Look for the helpers.
In the vein of Mister Rogers, remind children to “look for the helpers”. These are individuals who work to warn about danger in advance, to evacuate those who need it, and to help support communities in the recovery phase. Families may find ways to be helpers, based on their resources and experiences. One option is through financial donations or bringing requested recovery items to donation sites. Teens may be able to go with adults in their lives to volunteer at distribution sites.
Natural disasters are a terrifying experience for adults and children alike, and recovery is generally long-term. We hope these resources can give guidance during a difficult time. Severe weather poses a threat to all of us, most especially children who are already vulnerable; building systems to mitigate harm and support recovery requires all hands on deck.
If you or your family are in need of assistance after the recent hurricanes, you can use FEMA’s Individual Assistance tools; for access to community-based resource, consider starting with your local “2-1-1” resource service; you can look yours up here.
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Resources
This article was developed with the following resources, which we recommend for additional information:
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2023). Helping children cope and adjust after a disaster. https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/disasters-and-children/disaster-management-resources-by-topic/helping-children-cope-and-adjust-after-a-disaster/?srsltid=AfmBOooyv3pNHEP2hTS8NAH0yeLDG-kgh8iHx_5TL7FOrKWfgVYYYESX
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2022). The road to readiness: Preparing your family for disasters. https://downloads.aap.org/AAP/PDF/disasters_family_readiness_kit.pdf
Center for Children in a Disaster. (2023). Children In Disasters: Teachers and Early Care and Education Programs. Center for Disease Control (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/childrenindisasters/schools.html
Center for Children in a Disaster. (2023). Helping your child to cope with disaster. Center for Disease Control (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/childrenindisasters/children-disaster-help.html
PBS Kids. (2018). Helping children with tragic events in the news. https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/helping-children-with-tragic-events-in-the-news
Seattle Children’s. Disasters and scary events: Helping children cope. https://www.seattlechildrens.org/health-safety/parenting/coping-with-trauma-disaster/