When a disaster strikes, it’s often children who are the most vulnerable to the aftereffects, according to an article by the American Heart Association. According to one expert, Betty Lai, an associate professor in Boston College’s counseling, developmental and educational psychology department, these issues can manifest as mental or physical issues in children, such as sleep issues or nightmares.
Although the instinct can be for parents to hide these matters from children, often some measure of transparency and discussion can be helpful, according to the article. “We know that children are very perceptive,” Lai said. “So even if you don’t say it, they may understand that something big is happening. And it can become even scarier for children to not have something be discussed.”
Some parents, such as Reina Pomeroy, have taken action by founding support groups including Marshall Together (for survivors of the Marshall Fire in December 2021).
To read about how emergency management professionals manage their own families’ safety as well as caring for others in times of crisis, read an article in Campus Safety Magazine here.
Source:
https://www.heart.org/en/news/2022/07/21/how-to-take-care-of-kids-when-a-natural-disaster-strikes
