I grew up in Bartlesville, OK. I have heard about tornadoes my entire life. I owned two child care programs in OK for over twenty-five years. As a kid I remember going into the hallways at school and putting my hands over my head while crouched down on my knees. In childcare we practiced relentlessly with the children.
The fire department recommended which area we take the kids to; how to protect the infants and toddlers and we practiced once a month during tornado season.
I remember the fear as a child and I remember the fear as an adult of being responsible for many children. At home my kids and I had an area in our house that we went to often over the years. As a single mom it was very scary being alone with my kids and being totally responsible. We prayed many times crouching in our designated area.
Since two schools were hit, children everywhere are going to be fearful. It doesn’t matter where they live. To a child it becomes a world turned upside down where everything feels unsafe, out of control and confusing.
What makes a difference is the reaction, interaction, care and attention of the adults surrounding the child.
When the trauma is very large, like natural disaster, and on TV, Facebook and all over the Internet expect the impact to be widespread and long lasting. Remember kids will be seeing it on social media so please warn your parents to remember to monitor children’s Internet viewing.
Children’s emotional reaction to a crisis depends on their developmental level and on their experience with the people involved.
Here are a few universal reactions:
- Increased demands for attention
- Isolation
- Scared fearful/anxious
- Overactive/silliness
- Clingy, overly dependent on the adults around them
- Attempt to order world
- Crying, withdrawal
- Regression (Baby talk, toileting, need to sleep with toys or blankets given up long ago)
- Quietness or lack of emotion
- Complaint of pain (They may hurt physically with stomach aches, headaches, etc.)
- Difficulty in concentration/focus
Children are children and they have a need to play and make things feel normal.
Here are some tips for parents when there is a community tragedy.
- Do not talk to other adults about the tragedy in front of your children. Children don’t understand speculation.
- Try to keep yourself calm. Kids WILL pick up on your anxieties. Children need to know and feel they are safe.
- Parents please do not hug your child fiercely every time you see them. They may not fully comprehend all that has happened; however, they will pick up on your fretfulness.
- At a calm moment sit down with your children and ask them what they know about the event. Ask them what they want to know. Explain things in as calm a voice as you can.
- Don’t lie to your children. When they ask you what happened, tell them about the tornado. If they ask why God would allow this to happen, tell them God wants children to be safe.
- Ask your children to pray with you for the families who were hurt or died (depending on the age of your child). Continue to pray for people involved in the storm for the next few days and weeks.
- Pull your children up on your lap and tell your children they are safe. You can only guarantee your child’s safety in the moment and for now that is what they need.
- Allow children to play through various situations. Even 9, 10 and 11 year old kids will pull out the army men and other characters and play through their stress and fears. Stay on the sidelines, listen and observe. Just let them play through without interruptions. Bath time is another time kids will play through frustrations.
- Encourage your children to talk. Don’t ignore their fear.
- Lastly turn off the TV. I can’t say this loud enough TURN OFF THE TV and monitor Internet activity. Younger children can’t tell the difference in reality and non-reality.
This Sunday and for the next several weeks, pray with the children in your churches for the families in Oklahoma. Consider showing your kids the tornado drill – kneel, crouch down with your face on your knees and hands over the back of your neck. I know when I was a kid it meant adding prayer to this position. Have the kids practice themselves so they can feel like they are connecting with the kids in OK.
If you think children will need a visual, create a storm in a bottle. Take a two liter soda bottle; fill it with water; add monopoly pieces of houses or small plastic items; glue on the lid. When you hold the bottle upright and shake vigorously you will create a tornado in a bottle. Add the scripture Psalm 32:7.
You are my hiding place from every storm of life.
Read or paraphrase how Jesus calms the storm in Mark 4:35-41. Reassure the children they can trust Jesus and He will help the children affected by the tornado to get through this time also.
Take up a collection or do a fund raising so the children in your church can minister to the kids and families in Oklahoma. Children naturally want to help. Give them that opportunity as part of their healing and to help them conquer their own fears.
As adults remember to pray for the many single parents in that area. Take the children in single parent families aside and reassure them individually that they are okay. Children in single parent families often worry about their own safety. Help them pray for the kids in single parent families in Moore, OK.
Please feel free to print this post and hand it out to the parents in your church family.
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Thank you Linda–great advice and echoes what we learned living through hurricanes Katrina and Gustav with our kids. When our little ones starting playing “rescue” on the couch as if it were a boat, we knew it was time to turn off the TV coverage.
I grew up in Tulsa an went to OU in Norman and just cannot believe how much the little town of Moore has had to absorb over the years.
Thanks Amy. Had no idea you grew up in Tulsa. Hope you will pass this info to others.
Linda
Great article. I plan to share it with my Kidmin distribution list. In Florida, it is hurricanes. At least we have early warnings to prepare our kids.
Rhonda, good idea about sharing with church leaders in hurricane areas. Thanks, Linda
Linda Thank you for always being there for everyone. You are an Angel on earth. God is using you every second in every way.
Holly, thank you. I don’t know about the angel part though. I just know I’ve been through one of those tornados and the Lord impressed me to pass along the information. I’m thinking churches may have kids asking a lot of questions when they come to church so hopefully this will help church leaders help the kids.
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