Some tips to help kids weather our severe summer storms

Remember, as a kid, hiding under the covers in the middle of the night as a storm approached? Tornado sirens wailing, thunder rumbling louder by the minute, and lightning flashing like a strobe light… Nothing much has changed over the years. Many families still find that a wild and stormy night can create emotional havoc with their kids.

DeTonya Childress says her daughter Alexia, 9, becomes frantic during severe weather. Alexia’s fear first manifests as tears and quickly progresses to pleas for an immediate retreat to the basement. “Tornadoes and thunderstorms are the worst,” Childress says. “When Alexia was 3-years-old, she decided to sleep in her own bed during a storm. The first crack of thunder and she was back in my bedroom, crying all the way. Once she got to my room, she began to pray.”

If volatile weather sparks a crushing wave of panic in your child, calm storm preparations, soothing relaxation techniques, and a dash of Weather 101 may help ease his fears.

Calm Before the Storm

Begin by managing weather-related anxiety with calm, confident preparation. “The most important thing that parents can do is to prepare their children for severe weather long before it happens,” says Dr. Edward Christophersen, a pediatric psychologist. “Parents need to be cognizant that their behavior directly influences their child’s behavior. So, parents should very calmly practice their threatening-weather procedures.”

Create a severe-weather plan with your family. Designate a safe area in your home, a bathroom or closet in the middle of the house on the lowest level will work. Although unlikely in Florida, if you do have a basement, that’s the best option. Store a storm safety kit in your safe area that includes a battery-powered weather radio, flashlight, blankets, a pair of leather gloves, and safety whistles. With storm season imminent, take a few minutes several times a week to conduct family storm drills. When threatening weather approaches, calmly follow the plan you and your family have practiced.

Relaxation Techniques

Play weather sounds for your child while you’re relaxing together, playing a game, eating dinner, or while she’s doing homework. Begin with very gentle sounds, like a light rain, and slowly progress to more serious rain and thunderstorms. “The rationale here is to get the child to associate weather sounds with frequently occurring activities that are not anxiety provoking,” Christophersen says.

Download free weather sounds to your laptop or smartphone. Apple’s iTunesTM offers a free application for iPhone called “Sleepmaker” that Christophersen recommends.

Weather 101

Like many media weather forecasters around the country, Gary Lezak, chief meteorologist for a Kansas City TV news station, facilitates weather presentations at schools with his canine partner, Stormy the Weather Dog. It’s not unusual for Lezak to encounter children who fear thunderstorms and tornadoes. He finds that explaining the sporadic nature of tornadoes and how storms work can ease some of their worries. Lezak teaches students to track the movement of a storm. He explains that, after lightning flashes, they can count “one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand” and so on until they hear thunder. “Every five seconds is one mile, because sound travels much slower than light,” he says. He encourages kids to stay inside and play the game during a thunderstorm to figure out if the storm is moving closer or farther away.

When to Seek Help

Children commonly experience specific fears or phobias, but phobias typically wane as kids grow older. If your child’s phobia lasts more than six months and impairs her ability to participate in daily activities, find an experienced anxiety disorder therapist with supervised clinical experience in the treatment of phobia. Christophersen says a reputable therapist will likely conduct a standardized anxiety screening.

Tips to Prevent Weather Anxiety

• During a gentle, non-electrical rain, grab an umbrella and head outside with your youngster. Discuss how the rain helps give the grass a drink.
• If you have an infant, stand under your garage or porch and put her hand out into the rain to feel the rain drops.
• Parents should avoid anxiety-provoking behaviors, such as nervous pacing or anxious hovering around the weather radio or TV. Seek professional help, if you are unable to cope during a storm.