Natural disasters are troubling and frightening events for families and all those living in affected areas. After the incident, children may develop symptoms of anxiety and stress.

Children feel anxious about not understanding the nature of the event. Therefore, parents must clarify what the natural disaster is, the reason for its occurrence, and open the door to answering the questions lingering in their children’s imagination.

Children may feel helpless in the face of events (seeing everything fall apart around them without being able to do anything). Here, we must clarify that we can take all necessary precautions to avoid losses. However, there are certain things that we cannot control as human beings, as our capabilities are somewhat limited. It is crucial to emphasize that feeling this way is normal, and being limited is okay. 

The importance of encouraging children to talk about the details of the disaster must be emphasized. Therefore, the feelings of fear, anxiety and terror are not trapped in their imagination; Parents should encourage their children to talk. Each child expresses differently, some would prefer drawing, others writing a story, or oral stories telling.

Our children are strong beings, but they need adults who can deal with feelings of fear and anxiety with compassion in order to have a stable emotional status. We pray that these days, and all upcoming days, pass with kindness to all our children.

Here are some tips to help your kids after disasters: