Kids are very aware of their parents fears and worries and even more sensitive to them during crisis. Kids depend on daily routines like waking up, eating breakfast, going to school and playing with friends. The American Red Cross advises parents to attempt to keep these routines in place as much as possible after a crisis. Kids will also look to parents for clues on how to react to an emergency. If parents react with alarm, a child may be more fearful.
Experts say kids see a parent s fear as proof that the danger is real.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry advises parents to admit their concerns to children but keep things in perspective by stressing the parents abilities to cope with the situation, remain in control and keep children safe. Feelings of fear are natural and healthy for children and adults, but parents need to maintain control, concentrate on a child s emotional needs, and reassure kids through routines that life will return to normal. It can result from experiencing or seeing a frightening event. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, kids who suffer from PTSD re-experience the traumatic event. It rarely occurs immediately after the disaster, but often shows up months later.