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Here in Florida, everyone is begrudgingly making preparations for hurricane season. If you don't live in an area where this is a necessity, you may be wondering how on earth we can possibly prepare for such a massive potential event. Not even guaranteed, just potential. All over the world, a commonality that unites us is natural disasters of varying natures and degrees. If you live near a river or creek, there is a definite risk that you might experience flooding. If you live where you get snow or ice, there is a distinct possibility that you might get a blizzard or an ice storm. Coastal areas are at risk for hurricanes and tropical storms here in the continental United States, and we prepare for those in pretty specific ways. However, if you don't live in a region that is prone to hurricanes, keep reading. I only brought my family to my home state a year ago, but we have experienced many tornado seasons over the years, and I think you will find that this article easily translates to many different natural disaster scenarios with a little tweaking!
Hurricane season can be a scary thing. If you have ever paid attention to the news during storm season, you know that our country has experienced some absolute whoppers. Names such as Donna, Andrew, Katrina, Charley, Sandy, and now Ian are synonymous with horrific destruction. There are many other storms that have caused terrible damage, but these are just a handful in recent history that many people remember, whether they were directly affected or not, due to their representation in national news. Each year as the citizens of Florida start to mentally and physically prepare for hurricane season, the entire state collectively prays that we will be spared from another horrible storm like we have seen in the past. Lord, keep us safe. Lord, send the storms far out to sea. Lord, be our protector! Part of our responsibility as we pray is to make sure that we are doing everything we can to take care of ourselves and those we love. Scripture tells us in Genesis that the Lord told Noah to build a boat, right? Well, if Noah had not constructed that boat well, then it probably would have gone down in the storm. At the very least, we would have read account of Noah's children or animals perishing because of some defect in his project. But Noah did his job as he should have, and prepared for the unknown. In the same way, we prepare for hurricanes. No, the Lord is not wiping out the earth with a flood, but we are responsibly doing our part to protect our loved ones, and the homes that shelter us. There is also something to be said for preparing ourselves emotionally, as well. When you begin to get ready for a storm that may or may not hit, you think of all the necessary items on lists provided by organizations such as NOAA, FEMA, The Red Cross, or your local government. There are a lot of websites that have valuable information about what is needed, where to purchase it, and how to make your home storm-ready. What isn't often addressed, is how to make your family ready emotionally.
Being a parent always comes with its own special kinds of stress, and that is compounded by any outside stress, particularly the threat of natural disasters. So how can we support our children during the threat of something such as this? Remember: while I am addressing the threat of hurricanes and tropical storms today, these tips can be applied for any natural disaster that your area is prone to.
One of the first things that we need to do is make sure our children have an understanding of what a hurricane is from a technical point. Get age-appropriate books from your local library that help your child understand the science behind what makes a hurricane happen, why they happen, and the effects they have on our ecological system. Like wildfires, they can do some ugly work to aid in the long-term health of our earth. It's just hard to see that when we look at the devastation that comes with such an event, but I promise that they do indeed help care for this beautiful planet we call home. There are many videos on YouTube that are kid-friendly and will help your child understand hurricanes and how we study them, as well. Teaching our children the basics of danger by presenting them in a fear-free way is important! Once they begin to understand how scary something can be, their fear can keep them from learning valuable knowledge that can keep them safe. When we first teach our toddlers about the hot stove, we start by saying calmly, “This is a stove where we cook our food. Don't touch it, it's hot.” Then they might reach for it and get too close, so we say something like, “No! It's hot and you might get hurt.” You get the idea. You've done this with your kids! We have to help them understand that they can't touch it for a specific reason, right? Start off by screaming, “NO! IT'S HOT!”, and we might scare them enough that they won't want to help us later when they are older and can learn alongside us safely. Instilling knowledge before fear kicks in empowers our children in all aspects of life. Below, I have compiled a list of a few books that we find interesting on the scientific study of hurricanes.
Recommended Informational (While still interesting)
What Are Hurricanes? by Mari Schuh *excellent for small children
Hurricane Readiness by Rachel Siegel *excellent for older children
After you've taught your kids about the interesting ways in which hurricanes are formed and how they work, move on to some books that talk about riding one out, or what to do in a hurricane. You want to make sure that you are presenting books to your kids that aren't terribly scary at first. Remember what I mentioned above about the hot stove? There are a few books that I previewed that just weren't going to be ok for my kids during their first hurricane season, so I elected to leave those at the library. I find that there are some books that are pretty scary for young kids, even though they are geared for them, so I do my best to read books that show the seriousness of the disaster in a way that is less frightening, and more reassuring. You are mama (or dad!) and you know what your kids are ready for, so trust your gut.
Recommended for Storytelling
If You Were a Kid Surviving a Hurricane by Josh Gregory *has a slightly more intense theme
A great way to help your kids out emotionally is to get them involved in the preparations. This gives them the feeling that they are a bit more in control of their environment, and therefore, their emotions. Gathering first aid supplies, tallying food and water, assigning flashlights to each family member, prepping go-bags, etc. Asking them what they would like to put in your family's kit is a wonderful way to help them feel like they have some control over what they might be about to experience. You might go years, decades even without needing to use your supplies, but you might have a hurricane on the first year that you move to a coastal region. There is no guarantee of anything when you live in the cone of uncertainty! In addition to the things that are on the typical lists that you will find all over the internet, here are some things that we don't always think of, but are a really big deal when it comes to providing our children with a sense of comfort and normalcy. In Florida, we have what we refer to as “hurricane parties”. No, we are not in denial of the danger, but instead we face the danger with humor. We deflect. And we eat. And all the beer sells out. It's a whole thing. May I present my “kiddie hurricane party prep list”.
1.Special toys such as their favorite stuffed animal or doll. This is one that will be on the forefront of most of our minds, but what we don't always think about is keeping this item safe from the weather. Make sure that you have a plastic Ziploc bag or the equivalent to keep these items dry. If you experience flooding or have to go out in the rain, everything is going to get wet. Keep supplies to protect your kiddo's beloved items from getting ruined in adverse conditions.
2. Lots of Floridians bake hurricane cakes, especially now that Publix has stopped making them in their bakeries. That's a legitimate crime,by the way. Publix cakes are incredibly delicious, and hurricane cakes give a light-hearted way to enjoy a treat during a time of stress. They are often decorated with frosting in colors that resemble the swirl of a hurricane as it appears on a weather radar, and with the words, “Go away, [insert name of storm]!” Remember how I said that we Floridians tend to face dangers with humor? Grab a plainly frosted cake or bake your own and let your kids get to decorating before the storm sets in. Do this as you are starting to batten down the hatches and simply waiting for the storm to arrive at your doorstep. It's a great distraction when you are already stuck inside just waiting around for the inevitable.
3. Making sure that we are entertained is a big deal. During big storms, most neighborhoods will lose power at some point, which means that you can't turn on music or movies. Wi-Fi usually goes out early in the game, so you can download your kids' favorite movies and music to your devices and play those as long as you have battery life. When you no longer have battery life or you're simply trying to preserve that battery for as long as you can, make sure that you have card games at the ready. I purchased a set of waterproof playing cards a few years ago to take to places such as the beach, and they are perfect for situations like this, as well. With regular cards, one drop of the backpack to a puddle, and your entertainment is gone. If your kids have a favorite card game that is not available in a waterproof option, (most aren't) then consider buying a second deck and having it laminated. Many libraries will allow you to use their laminating machines if you bring your own laminating pouches, and many office supply stores offer this service, as well. A great way to keep the cards organized is in plastic photo boxes, or by using a hole punch in one corner of the laminated card and putting the whole deck onto a carabiner. Here are a couple of decks that are already waterproof: Uno Splash, Hoyle Waterproof Playing Cards
4. Speaking with my teenager on this subject, I asked her what she would like to consider adding to our arsenal. She is a big reader, as are many in our house, so she said that she would want to find a way to keep a book safe during the storm. This inspired me, and I think that this year I will be picking new books from my kids' TBR (to-be-read) list and putting them safely in a Ziploc bag among our supplies. They will not get to dig into these books that they have already been wanting to read until we are either sheltering in place, or until the hurricane season has passed without event. Either way, they get a new book that has been on their list! For kids that either aren't good readers yet, or prefer to be read to, consider a fun chapter book filled with laughs and adventures. I always recommend books such as the Treasure Hunters series by James Patterson. Each chapter is only a few pages long, and there are fun illustrations throughout. Whatever you choose, make sure that it's something that will keep your kids engaged and laughing. High spirits are the goal here! Don't forget to have book lights and batteries for those on hand, as well as for when the electric has gone out.
5. As mentioned above, surprising your kids with something new is a great way to relieve their stress and take their minds off of what's going on outside their walls, whether you're riding a storm out, or you've evacuated ahead of the storm. Do they have a handheld video game system? Buy a new game and secret that away into your supplies, or pay for an upgrade to a game that is already a family favorite and surprise them with it during a time when they need distraction. This only works, however, if you have a way to charge devices. Do you have a power bank that charges with a crank system, a solar panel, etc? If not, consider investing in these for a variety of reasons, including this one! They are generally small and inexpensive. We have a emergency flashlight that has a radio and can charge devices via USB cord. This flashlight can be charged by plugging into a power source (pre-storm), via a small solar panel on its top, or by cranking its handle manually.
6. Consider your child's favorite snacks and candies, as well. This will have to be a supply that you keep well-guarded, but a treat during a stressful moment reminds your child that things are going to be okay, and that you remembered something that they love. You can even portion things out and present them with a little snack bag for every hour, every four hours, etc. Use your personal judgment on what will work best for you. Buy a big bag of something like Skittles and have your children take turns divvying them out to the members of your family. When you've sheltered in place for one hour, they hand each person one Skittle, adding a Skittle for each hour that they have been amazing! It is inevitable that they will feel that time is dragging on and they will ask you how many hours you've been sitting where you are at, so giving them this little treat as a way to keep track of time is a great distraction. Use a different treat to add to your “game” when the power goes out. I wouldn't recommend M&Ms, however. The claim that they melt in your mouth and not in your hand does not hold up in the heat of hurricane season. Chocolate is on theme with the lights going out and it being dark, bringing a sense of humor to things, (remember the hurricane cake I mentioned earlier?) but it's probably better to choose something like gummies or crackers. Maybe grab Oreos for this part of your hurricane party.
7. After the storm is over, there will be a lot of work to do, and likely a lot of devastation around you. Maybe you will get lucky, and it's just trees and landscaping that don't fare well. Maybe there is a lot more surrounding you that is destroyed. Again, there is no way to tell how the storm will play out until it's happening. Your family may have hard days ahead of you, so make sure that you are preparing for ways to keep your spirits up during those times. When you set aside foods for post-hurricane meals, make sure that you have comfort snacks and desserts, in addition to the nutritious meals that you gather. There are lots of ways that you can cook creatively, be it on a grill, with an electric pressure cooker, etc. Decide ahead of time the ways that you will feed your family and get the ingredients that you need to make those treats. A small thing such as a freshly made dessert can make a horrible day feel more normal, and keep your emotions from snapping under the immense pressure that comes with a natural disaster.
These lists are just a few of the ideas that can help your children more effectively ride the emotional waves that come during hurricanes, or with any other natural disaster event. Part of parenting is helping our children manage their emotions, and those emotions are the same ones that we are feeling ourselves, so that makes it even more complicated. I pray that your family finds peace in this hurricane season, and that all the storms that come pass over your home; but if they don't, I pray that you have the grace and peace to weather those storms with strength and dignity. Trust in the Father, He doesn't let us down!
"For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”--Zephaniah 3:17
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