Talk About News, Plan For Emergency
This can be a frightening time for families as the United States ends its war with Iraq. What can you do to help your children cope with the images and stories that are part of their lives? And what about preparing for the possibility of the unthinkable: terrorism in your own community?
Start by making a plan, both for how you will manage the information your children receive about the war and for how your family will react to possible terrorism at home. Both issues are especially complicated for working parents who must be away from their children during the day, and for parents of school-age children who are in the classroom or after-school activities.Help Children Cope With Information
First, think about the information your children may be exposed to about the military conflict. Identify where they will get their information. Obvious sources are the television, radio, Internet, classroom, friends and social groups. Then, like many sensitive issues, you might want to manage that information on a need-to-know and age-appropriate basis. If your children are very young, you can decide whether you want to censor what they hear about. For example, you may not want your 3-year-old to watch the evening news. If you have high schoolers, you may want to talk to them about the facts of the news events and see how they feel about them.
At the same time, realize that your children may pick up on world events from sources you cannot control. Be prepared for them to ask questions or indicate they've heard about the news. Plan ahead what you will say: Explain the situation as simply and calmly as you can, giving age-appropriate answers to their specific questions. Above all, reassure them that they are safe with you and at school and that the war is happening very far away.
"Use words and concepts your child can understand," recommends the American Academy of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry on its Web site. "Make your explanation appropriate to your child's age and level of understanding. Don't overload a child with too much information.
"War and terrorism are not easy for anyone to comprehend or accept," the academy continues. "Understandably, many young children feel confused, upset, and anxious. Parents, teachers and caring adults can help by listening and responding in an honest, consistent, and supportive manner."
When you talk about the military conflict, violence, terrorism and other issues, make sure you validate your children's concerns or fears. Tell them it's OK to feel this way and it's good to discuss it with you. Then seek to reassure them that they themselves are safe and, again with their age in mind, talk about ways your family can cope with world events.
For school-age children, you might touch base with your child's teacher to find out if the school is including terrorism-education or preparedness in the classroom. Some schools are using curriculum suggested by the U.S. Department Of Homeland Security. Others are incorporating the news into social studies discussions at older grade levels. Some are not bringing up the subject, choosing instead to leave it up to the parents. You should be aware of what your school is doing so you can work with your teacher to make your child feel safe.
Make A Family Disaster Plan
Second, make a family disaster plan. This is a good idea for everyone, but for working parents, it takes on added importance because you are away at work for part of the day. Find out what your child's school, daycare provider, after-school organization or baby-sitter has planned in the event of emergency.
For ideas on making such a plan, check out the American Academy of Pediatrics' Web site. The academy has an excellent Family Readiness Kit for preparing for terrorism. It outlines how to be ready before an event happens, what to do during the event and what to do immediately after it. Most importantly, you should put together a list of family emergency contacts, identify "rally points," and put together your disaster supply kit.
Your family emergency contacts should include phone numbers for your workplace, school, daycare, neighbors, out-of-town family members, and medical emergency numbers.
"Rally points" are places where you would meet up with your family members during an emergency. "Since your family is not together 24 hours a day, you need to consider how you would find each other in a disaster," the academy says. "Rally points (physical locations) should be identified for the most commonly frequented locations (i.e. work, school, neighbors…)"
Your family disaster supply kit should include these items, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency: water (at least a gallon daily per person for three to seven days); food for three to seven days, blankets; clothing; first aid kit/medicines; special items for infants and the elderly; toiletries; flashlights/batteries; radio/batteries; keys; toys/books/games; important documents; tools; fuel in vehicle tanks; pet food.
Find Out More
For more information on helping children cope with fear and world events, for news on homeland security and for tips on helping you family prepare for and deal with terrorism, you can look at these sites:
"Are You Ready? A Guide To Citizen Preparedness," available at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
"Don't Be Afraid. Be Ready," tips on assembling emergency supply kits, developing family communication plans, making plans for response at work, school, daycare and other sites, and learning about different emergencies you could face, available from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
A set of free child identification cards and emergency contact lists to print out, available at the American Academy Of Pediatrics' Web site.
Suggestions for preparing your family for an emergency, available from the Red Cross.
"Children, Terrorism and Disasters Toolkit," information on how children are more vulnerable than adults to chemical or biological warfare and other tips.
"Talking To Children About Terrorism And War," available from the American Academy Of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry.
"Be Alert, Be Aware, Have A Plan: The Complete Guide To Protecting Yourself, Your Home, Your Family."
