Emergency Management Resource Guide

Information for Parents

Information Sheet to Share with Parents

Helping Your Child After A Crisis:

Children may be especially upset and express feelings about the disaster. These reactions are normal and usually will not last long. Listed below are some behaviors you may see in your child:

Excessive fear of darkness, separation, or being alone

Clinging to parents, fear of strangers

Worry

Increase in immature behaviors

Not wanting to go to school

Changes in eating/sleeping behaviors

Increase in either aggressive behavior or shyness

Bedwetting or thumb sucking

Persistent nightmares

Headaches or other physical complaints

The following will help your child:

Talk with your child about his/her feelings about the disaster; share your feelings too

Talk about what happened; give your child information he/she can understand

Reassure your child that they are safe; you may need to repeat this reassurance often

Hold and comfort your child often

Spend extra time with your child at bedtime

Allow your child to mourn or grieve. If you feel your child is having problems at
school, talk to his/her teacher, counselor or principal so you can work together
to help him/her

Ongoing Recovery

Please reread this sheet from time to time in the coming months. Usually a child’s emotional response to a crisis will not last long, but some problems may be present or recur for many months afterward. In such cases consideration should be given to making a referral to the community mental health center.