Hurricane Season

Helping to Alleviate Your Child's Fears

By Laura Cone

Shandra Valenzuela knows hurricane season will inevitably stir up not just broken tree limbs and loose debris in her yard, but the fears of her oldest son, Stephen, 11. "My oldest son is extremely anxious," says Valenzuela, who lives in Tampa, Fla. "He won't watch the weather channel. If the weather is on he leaves the room."

While the family, which also includes father, Jose, and children Jack, 1, and Julia, 7, has never been in a home hit hard by a strong hurricane, they have lost electricity during hurricane season. Last year, August brought Hurricane Irene followed by Katrina and Rita in September and then Wilma in October. "I was worried about him, but I found if we spent time together he was better off," Valenzuela says.

Valenzuela made an effort to listen to her son's concerns and let him be part of the hurricane preparation. "They know they are being heard," she says. "I would ask him what foods would you like to have. If he knows the radio is sitting there and the batteries are there and we have the food he likes and his Gameboy is charged, he has a hand in it and feels better about it."

Even when her electricity went out for 36 hours straight, the family was able to make the best out of an uncomfortable situation. "We sat around and played board games and did stuff we did not usually do," she says.

Heidi Taylor, senior associate of preparedness with the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C., says parents may want to plan ahead for fun activities to do in case they are not in an evacuation zone but need to hunker down and weather a storm at home.

Taylor suggests parents visit www.RedCross.org and view the Masters of Disaster section, which includes lesson plans for teachers and information for families. "There are lots of things families can do together when the power goes out such as board games, spending time together," she says. "There is an opportunity to spend time with the children and, as a family, just do some fun things. Use that time to spend together."

Want to see more?

• Hurricane Tips: American Red Cross Urges You to Take Lifesaving Steps to Prepare Now
• American Family Safety Offers Hurricane Preparedness Advice: Preparing Before a Storm Hits Is Key to Protecting Your Family in an Emergency
• A Hurricane Is Coming! How Will it Affect Your Vacation?
• Talk about it!