How to Help Your Children Cope with Disasters
Nicholas Long, PhD
Arkansas Children's Hospital and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Department of Pediatrics
Tornados, floods and other natural disasters, as well as human-caused catastrophes, can be extremely frightening and stressful to children. Many children experience a normal stress reaction for several days to even a few weeks following a disaster, especially one that has directly impacted them. Such normal reactions may include, but are not limited to, shock, anger, fear, confusion and irritability.
The good news is that most children are quite resilient in the long-term to this type of stress - if they are able to receive effective support and assistance from their parents and other caregivers in the aftermath of the disaster. In other words, it is important to understand that the manner in which parents and other adults interact with children during and following such crises can determine, to a large extent, how effectively the children will cope with the disaster in the long-term.
Read More about Helping Your Children Cope with Disasters.