•January 12, 2022•
By Cheri Burcham
Family Life Educator

Natural disasters, such as the recent tornados, wildfires, and floods along with other traumatic events like mass shootings and even the pandemic can be devastating for everyone. For children, just watching the news and listening to parents talk can make life’s events seem like they are out of control. This would be magnified for children who experienced direct loss and may need help understanding what happened to their world. Most children look to adults for guidance and understanding on how to react and deal with life’s events.
Common reactions of children experiencing stress may include new fears, clinginess, refusal to go to school or other places where they would be separated from familiar adults, regression or withdrawal into depression, or acting out behaviors. How can children be helped through disaster experiences? The National Association of School Psychologists reminds all parents and teachers to:
· Limit your child’s viewing of these events. If they must watch, watch with them for a brief time; then turn off the screen. Don’t sit mesmerized re-watching the same events over and over again.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.