p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify...
Earthquakes, nuclear meltdowns, tsunamis and more: with cable television, it doesn’t matter if these disasters are in our town or thousands of miles away. We now experience them in our own living room.
As a concerned citizen, I am captivated by the round-the-clock media coverage. However, as a parent, I must consider the affect of these “disaster reports” on my children.
With the constant images of destruction from recent earthquakes in Japan, my children are no longer asking me as many questions about our upcoming plans for spring break. Instead, they ask why those families don’t have homes, or why can’t the children find their parents. They now fear that something will happen and they’ll lose their dad and I. They hold our hand a little tighter, snuggle a little closer, and never want to let us out of their sight. This reminds me of how my husband and I felt on our son’s his first birthday, September 11, 2001. We held him closer, snuggled him tighter and didn’t let him out of our sight either.
It is difficult to explain to our children that accidents happen, but your children need to know the facts about these types of disasters. And, they should hear it from you rather than the sometimes diluted, exaggerated versions they hear elsewhere. Let your children know that because we see these things on the television doesn’t make them any more likely that they will happen to us. To be sure that you are prepared, though, take this opportunity to talk to them about what your family can do to stay safe by creating a home emergency plan and preparing a safety kit. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) has a fantastic, family-friendly website (fema.gov/kids) to help parents and kids find ways to discuss natural disasters. Reassure your children that there are many people working to help others in need, and that your family can help too. Encourage them to brainstorm ways to help. Here’s a few ways to get you and your child started:
Unfortunately, our world today is filled with unpredictable and unforeseen events that affect our sense of safety and well-being. Children may find fear in a catastrophic event, but they can find comfort and security in our response to it. With consistent love, compassion and communication, we can alleviate our children’s fears and strengthen not only in our families, but our communities and nation as well.
* * *
Here are some guidelines for a well-stocked basic emergency preparedness kit:
For more information on where to donate or volunteer, you can contact the following agencies:
(757) 229-4631
(703) 836-7100
© 2009 Julie Watson Smith
Fall Back into Chaos
“Summer is no excuse for chaos, Julie.” At least that’s what my friend told me recently. You know what, my friend is right. Because just like Fa...
Do As I Say and As I Do
Children learn to imitate at a very young age. It's how they learn to behave, care for themselves, develop new skills, and communicate with others. From their earliest moments, children watch you closely and begin to pattern their own behavior and beliefs after yours. The example you set becomes a permanent model that will influence and often shape their attitudes and actions for the rest of their life.
Your Mompreneur Check-Up
As moms, we understand the need for regular medical and dental check-ups to make sure our family is in tip-top shape. What about mompreneur health? Ha...
