Talking to Kids - Ready to Respond, Sedgwick County, Kansas

Talking to Your Kids about Emergencies

Undoubtedly, kids will have many questions when emergencies occur. Here are some things to keep in mind as children react to emergency events.

There are normal reactions you can expect children to have when they are confronted with disasters or emergencies. Those normal reactions include:

As you talk to children about disasters, take these things into consideration:

Kids do not think about things in the same way adults do. They may have fears about what they see and hear because they do not understand that what they see on television is taking place around the world.
Let them know you have a plan and share the plan highlights to provide appropriate reassurance about their safety and care.
Maintain a normal routine if possible.
The age of the child should guide how much and the type of information you share about the disaster. Younger children should be given fewer details. All children, regardless of age, need comfort and attention from the adults in their lives during and after traumatic events.
Kids need to be reassured about their immediate safety. Remind them that you put their safety first.
Reassure kids about your own safety while at work.
Provide a simple explanation of the event. It may be helpful to ask what they have heard and seen on television.
Ask kids what they think about the event. Engaging them in conversation will be comforting. If you can't answer a question, it is okay to say you don't know.
Allow children to talk about the feelings they have and the feelings other people have had about the event.
Limit kids' exposure to television and radio coverage of the news. Graphic images can be very upsetting and scary.

Call COMCARE of Sedgwick County, (316) 660-7540 or the Crisis Help Line, (316) 660-7500