The disaster left in Hurricane Katrina's wake is beyond belief. The news coverage is non-stop, 24/7. Teachers and school administrators are talking about it in schools and some are collecting money for the relief efforts. Families across the country are opening their hearts and their homes to those who are directly affected by Katrina's wrath.
All of these things are wonderful. It brings hope to those suffering and helps those of us who feel a little guilty for not being as affected. It enables those who can do a lot to help, to do just that. It enables those who can't do as much, to do at least something.
The problem is that for our young children, the images seen flashed on the screen during the news, be it local news or a station like CNN, are incredibly disturbing. They might need help processing what they're seeing. Don't assume that hearing about this or seeing pictures does not affect them. It does.
There are a few things you can do to help young children understand and process these difficult times.
1 - Encourage them to talk and/or ask questions
Answer questions as best as you can age appropriately
2 - Reassure them that what they are seeing only happened once and not each time they see a picture of it
It's natural for young children to assume that the same event keeps recurring each time they see it and that sometimes causes repeated bouts of anxiety.
3 - Encourage them to do something to help in some way
4 - Tell them you love them
Check out our Ebooks at Bella Online! All Ebook sales for the month of September will be donated to the Red Cross for Katrina Relief!
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