What should parents say to their children when a terrible flood occurs?

The effects of climate change are becoming more urgent and unpredictable. Children’s physical, mental and educational health can be disrupted by natural disasters. Some children suddenly witness major changes in their families and communities.

There are children who, although not directly affected by natural disasters, are also psychologically affected when observing the devastating scenes appearing on the media and social networks.

Faced with natural disasters, parents need to know how to talk to their children to help them think and act correctly.

Parents need to know what to say to their children about natural disasters (Illustration: iStock).

Talk to your children about the dangers of natural disasters.

Parents need to teach their children important knowledge about natural disasters, especially those that are likely to occur in their area. Parents need to learn the scientific knowledge about the causes of each type of natural disaster, as well as how people can keep themselves as safe as possible when faced with an accident. The purpose of these conversations is to reduce children's feelings of fear.

Create a hypothetical emergency scenario with your child.

If your family lives in an area that is at risk of experiencing some form of extreme weather or even sudden natural disasters, you should work with your child to create hypothetical scenarios, set in the context of your child being at home or at school.

When creating these scenarios, you need to give your child specific instructions on what to do. These should be age-appropriate. This type of knowledge will help your child feel more independent and confident, and they can somewhat control the situation if an emergency occurs.

Providing children with the knowledge to cope with extreme weather patterns and respond to natural disasters is essential (Illustration: iStock).

Be honest when explaining what is happening.

Children need to know accurate, truthful information. However, in the process of helping children understand the problem correctly, parents need to keep them calm. Parents should use language and provide knowledge appropriate to the child's age, observe their reactions and know how to reassure them if they show fear.

If you don't know the exact answers to your child's questions, consider this an opportunity for parents and children to learn together to gain more knowledge to deal with natural disasters.

Show children good people and good deeds in natural disasters

Tell your children about the brave acts and charitable deeds that have been done during natural disasters. From there, tell your children about how they and their loved ones can choose appropriate actions to bring positive values to the community, such as: participating in volunteer activities or donating to charity...

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/cha-me-can-noi-gi-voi-con-khi-xay-ra-lu-lut-kinh-hoang-20240911154948438.htm