Local public libraries can put together lists of available books, by age group, about the environment and environmental hazards, separation and loss, and adaptation and coping. Likewise, dolls, puppets, and toys can be used in play to elicit children's concerns and conflicts and to help resolve them. Group game in which touching of persons is an important component can encourage mutual support among children and between children and their caretakers. Reading about disasters, understanding what causes natural disasters, and talking about feelings will help children who have experienced a disaster to communicate their feelings and fears. Through thoughtful questioning, children can be guided to relate their own experiences to those of the characters in the books.
Books can tap the same emotions so the child's feeling can be felt again and discussed.
Children who then experience their confusing, anxious feeling can retell their story. Retelling enables the child to deal with their feelings more and more each time they tell their story. This is part of the healing process. Materials for Schools At the time of the 1982 California floods, the Santa Cruz County Mental Health Services cooperated in developing a pamphlet for teachers. Taking Care of Yourself and Each Other is generally available through mental health agencies.