For immediate release

Kids need help coping with disaster

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and tornadoes can seriously disrupt a child's sense of order and security. Even if a child's home is not damaged and family members are uninjured, a storm might be the first sign that the world is not always a safe and orderly place, despite all precautions.

Parents, even though they may be stressed, can do much to alleviate their children's fears and concerns. In the days following a disaster, parents may find that their children's emotions are magnified. That's because they haven't yet developed coping skills or gained the understanding that the disruption is temporary -- that their world will return to normal. There might by feelings of loss, fear and fatigue.

North Carolina Cooperative Extension recommends that parents follow these steps for helping their children understand that they are safe and that their parents will care for them:

• Maintain a routine if it is at all possible. Read your child a favorite story at bedtime, even if it's by candlelight or flashlight, or play a favorite game. Children take comfort in the fact that mealtimes, bedtimes, bath and playtime which take place as closely as possible to the pre-storm schedule are signs that their world is slowly returning to normal.
• Maintain the same family rules and household routines that existed before the storm. Even though the house may be flooded or littered, for example, children should still place trash in trash cans rather than throwing it on the floor. This promotes a sense of responsibility and belonging and fosters the idea that the household will soon return to normal.
• Don't expect children to learn a whole new set of skills that they didn't need before the disaster.
• Despite the urgency of the cleanup, try to find a stopping point in what you are doing to spend time with your children and reassure them that they are safe and secure. Encourage them to write letters to their grandparents and take photographs of the area to share with out-of-state relatives and to keep as souvenirs.
• Over the next few days or weeks, your child may want to stay close to home and avoid visiting friends or playing outside. These normal feelings will fade with time. However, if your child is withdrawn and fearful for a prolonged time or has frequent nightmares, this may be a sign of post-traumatic stress disorder and you may wish to seek professional help.

A disaster's psychological effects can last for weeks after power is restored and roads are cleared. The prolonged effects can determine the severity of the stress. The more intense and longer the devastation, the longer the stress will linger. If you recognize the signs and take active steps to help yourself and your children feel secure, the whole family will recover more rapidly from an extremely stressful event.

or more information on disaster recovery, contact your county's North Carolina Cooperative Extension center or visit the Web site http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/disaster/.

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Prepared by the Department of Communication Services, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Updated September 3, 2008 — dfc

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