Intense circumstances create high amounts of stress, not only
for adults, but children also. Whether it is a fire, flood or
earthquake, children need to know what to do and how to do it in
order to minimize stress and anxiety. Have you heard stories on
the news about a child who saves a family by staying calm,
calling 911, and following directions? Being prepared to help in
an emergency saves lives. What makes it possible for a child in
a high stress situation to be ready to help?
Establish and Practice Home Emergency Plans Everyone in the
family needs to be aware of potential disasters and what to do
if they occur. Start family emergency planning with a
brainstorming session. (Depending on the age of your children
you may need to explain that brainstorming is sharing whatever
comes to mind. No idea is bad and no one should be laughed at
for their contributions.) After brainstorming pull out the most
effective ideas and make a family written plan and post it in a
public place. Put plans into action by rehearsing drills. After
each trial, evaluate performance to make the plan run more
smoothly. Planning in such a way allows children to maintain
control of their responses and actions, even when emergencies
are out of their control. Planning increases their ability to
respond calmly in an emergency.
Enroll Youth in Programs Community youth programs teach
important life skills. These programs prepare children by
enlarging upon the lessons from home and school. Organizations
such as The American Red Cross, Boy Scouts of America, Girls
Scouts of U.S.A, and R.A.D. Kids promote emergency preparedness
and skills, and often assist families by offering good exercises
to do at home.
First Aid Classes Teach, review, and practice basic first aid
with children. Talk about more complicated first aid procedures,
even if they are not physically capable of doing them. Although
children may not be able to perform procedures such as CPR,
clearing a person's airway, or giving mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation, it is beneficial for them to know what it is in
case they ever witness it. Traumatic events cause more fear and
tension if they are completely new or unfamiliar.
Community Service Create a sense of belonging, responsibility,
and service for your family by participating in city wide
clean-ups or other service projects. Involvement teaches
children that many hands make light work and that we all need to
help each other to get a job done. If there ever is a need for
community work during an emergency children will know how to
help and work together.
Teach Health and Fitness Having a strong mind and a healthy body
aids a person in a disaster. Being able to react and withstand
challenges is an important component of physical readiness.
Youth can help with tasks such as sandbagging, shoveling, and
cleaning if they have been physically active and living a
healthy lifestyle.
Laughter is the Best Medicine Humor reduces stress and anxiety
by releasing feel-good hormones in the brain, promoting positive
thinking and emotion. Make humor apart of everyday life.
Encourage good jokes and optimism. Practice making tense
situations lighter with laughter. Children will be reassured and
relaxed during the stress that is associated with emergency if
they can have the healthy outlet of laughter.
Being prepared for possible emergencies increases confidence,
knowledge and skill in children of all ages. Because emergencies
can cause high stress and have a negative impact and effect on
people's lives, especially children, it is important to take the
necessary steps to prepare them for such situations. Also
remember that children react to the emotions of those around
them and can sense when there is fear, stress or anxiety. The
best way to help a child in an emergency is to be prepared to
deal with the situation yourself.
About the author:
About the Author Francesca Black is a prolific writer and has
generated a number of educational articles about emergencies.
Additional articles can be found at Prepare for Emergency
http://www.prepare-for-emergency.com .