Helping children react appropriately during an emergency
Helping children react appropriately during an emergency
Children are especially vulnerable in the event of an emergency or a disaster. Below are a few tips to help them better understand and cope with what is happening.
On this page:
Helping children prepare for an emergency
Find out how to help your children understand the risks and adopt the right reflexes in an emergency:
Have a conversation with your children about the type of disasters that could occur in your region, for example floods or forest fires. Also, discuss how to react and the steps to take in such an event.
Teach them what to do should there be a natural disaster (e.g., an earthquake, a tornado or an ice storm (sometimes called freezing rain).
Explain to your children how to contact 911 (emergency services) and when they should do so. Knowing this could save their lives or yours. Go through the contents of the page entitled Emergency preparedness for children with them so that they can learn more about contacting emergency services (911).
Plan and hold regular home evacuation exercises with your children, making sure to explain why you are doing this. This will ensure they are better prepared and less fearful or anxious in the event of an actual disaster.
Make sure your children know how to react if there is an emergency while they are at school.
Supporting children in the event of an emergency
You can support your children by taking simple and reassuring actions that will help them feel safe:
Keep your children nearby.
Tell them that what they are feeling is perfectly normal and take their fears seriously.
Explain to them what has occurred. If your children are younger, keep details to a minimum.
Do what you can to ensure your children are not exposed to scary or repeated images of the disaster, whether it be on television or electronic devices.
Encourage them to talk to you about the situation.
Listen to them and answer their questions as best as you can.
Let your children help or support you if that is what they want to do.
Share your thoughts and feelings with them. They will likely feel less alone if they understand that your feelings are much like their own.
If you need to evacuate, let your children bring a beloved toy or special object with them. Not only might it be comforting, but it could also keep them focused on something other than the situation.
Do things with them to pass the time and help them better cope with the events.
Attempt to keep same daily routine, e.g., mealtime, bedtime, etc. This can be highly reassuring for children.
How children may react
When faced with an emergency, children may cry, complain or even wet their bed. Older children can develop an intense fear of being harmed or separated from their family. Other possible responses following an emergency or disaster include fear of the dark, physical pain and eating or sleep disorders.
Obtaining psychosocial support
Consider reaching out to a mental health professional if your children’s reactions last for more than a month or if they surface a while after the disastrous event.
Make sure to take care of yourself, as a parent and a person. For more information on possible responses to a disaster as well as tips on what to do, see the page Getting better following a disaster.
Specialized psychosocial workers are available to offer support and advice and to refer callers to resources adapted to their needs or those of their loved ones. Contact Info-Social by dialing 811, then choose option 2 to speak to specialist. These services, confidential and free of charge, are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.