Resources

Children and Evacuation

Coming Back for the Storm: Some Tips for Parents and Their Children Assembled tips from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Authority
Preschool (ages 1-5)
Early Childhood (ages 5-11)
Pre-adolescent (ages 11-14)
Adolescent (ages 14-18)

Care Tips for Survivors of a Traumatic Event:
What to Expect in your Personal, Family, Work and Financial Life

How Families Can Help Children Cope with Fear and Anxiety
Provided by Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Authority

Additional Links

Coming Back from the Storm:
Some Tips for Parents and Their Preschool Children (Ages 1-5)

The Louisiana Children's Museum would like to welcome your family back to New Orleans. We share your enthusiasm for returning to the city, and the hope that we can rebuild a better New Orleans. At the same time, our museum family has experienced the same challenges that you and your family may have faced, including returning "home" to find that "home" is sometimes strange, difficult and even painful. To address even a small part of the challenges, we assembled these tips from Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Authority's web site to share with you. We hope that they are useful, and that your family returns to the museum, again and again, for fun, playtime and comfort.
Age-Specific Responses and Reactions of Children to a Disaster
Preschool (ages 1-5): Children in this age group are particularly vulnerable to disruption of their previously secure world. Because they generally lack the verbal and conceptual skills necessary to cope effectively with sudden stress by themselves, they look to family members for comfort. Abandonment is a major fear in this age group, and children who have lost family members and even pets or toys will need special reassurance.
Typical responses include:

• Thumb sucking
• Bed wetting
• Fears of the darkness or of animals
• Clinging to parents
• Night terrors
• Loss of bladder or bowel control, constipation
• Speech difficulties (e.g., stammering)
• Loss or increase of appetite

• Encourage expression through play reenactment
• Provide verbal reassurance and physical comforting
• Give frequent attention
• Encourage expression regarding loss of pets or toys
• Plan calming, comforting pre-bedtime activities
• Allow short term changes in sleep arrangements such as allowing children to sleep with a light on or with the door open, or on a mattress in the parents' or another child's room, or remaining with the child while the child falls asleep.

Coming Back from the Storm:
Some Tips for Parents and Their Children (Ages 5 - 11)

The Louisiana Children's Museum would like to welcome your family back to New Orleans. We share your enthusiasm for returning to the city, and the hope that we can rebuild a better New Orleans. At the same time, our museum family has experienced the same challenges that you and your family may have faced, including returning "home" to find that "home" is sometimes strange, difficult and even painful. To address even a small part of the challenges, we assembled these tips from Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Authority's web site to share with you. We hope that they are useful, and that your family returns to the museum, again and again, for fun, playtime and comfort.
Age-Specific Responses and Reactions of Children to a Disaster
Early childhood (ages 5-11) Regressive behavior is most typical of this group. Loss of pets or prize objects is particularly difficult for them to handle.

Typical responses include:

• Irritability
• Whining
• Clinging
• Aggressive behavior at home or school
• Overt competition with younger siblings for parents attention
• Night terrors, nightmares, fear of darkness
• School avoidance
• Withdraw from peers
• Loss of interest and poor concentration in school

Coming Back from the Storm:
Some Tips for Parents and Their Children (Ages 11-14)

The Louisiana Children's Museum would like to welcome your family back to New Orleans. We share your enthusiasm for returning to the city, and the hope that we can rebuild a better New Orleans. At the same time, our museum family has experienced the same challenges that you and your family may have faced, including returning "home" to find that "home" is sometimes strange, difficult and even painful. To address even a small part of the challenges, we assembled these tips from Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Authority's web site to share with you. We hope that they are useful, and that your family returns to the museum, again and again, for fun, playtime and comfort.
Age-Specific Responses and Reaction of Children to a Disaster
Pre-adolescent (ages 11-14): Peer reactions are especially significant in this age group. The child needs to feel that his/her fears are both appropriate and shared by others. Responses should be aimed at lessening tensions and anxieties and possible guilt feelings.

Typical responses include:

• Sleep disturbance, appetite disturbance
• Rebellion in the home
• Refusal to do chores
• School problems (e.g., fighting, withdraw, loss of interest, attention seeking behavior)
• Physical problems (e.g., headaches, vague aches and pains, skin eruptions, bowel problems, psychosomatic complaints)
• Loss of interest in peer social activities

• Group activities geared toward the resumption of routines
• Involvement with same age group activity
• Group discussions geared toward relieving the disaster and rehearsing appropriate behavior for future disasters
• Structured but undemanding responsibilities
• Temporary relaxed expectations of performance at school or at home
• Additional individual attention and consideration

Coming Back from the Storm:
Some Tips for Parents and Their Children (Ages 14 - 18)

The Louisiana Children's Museum would like to welcome your family back to New Orleans. We share your enthusiasm for returning to the city, and the hope that we can rebuild a better New Orleans. At the same time, our museum family has experienced the same challenges that you and your family may have faced, including returning "home" to find that "home" is sometimes strange, difficult and even painful. To address even a small part of the challenges, we assembled these tips from Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Authority's web site to share with you. We hope that they are useful, and that your family returns to the museum, again and again, for fun, playtime and comfort.
Age-Specific Responses and Reactions of Children to a Disaster
Adolescent (ages 14-18): Most of the activities and interest of the adolescent are focused in his/her own age group peers. They tend to be especially distressed by the disruption of their peer group activities and the lack of access to full adult responsibilities in community efforts.

Typical responses include:

• Psychosomatic symptoms (e.g., rashes, bowel problems, asthma)
• Headaches and tension
• Appetite and sleep disturbance
• Hypochondriasis
• Amenorrhea or dysmenonhea
• Agitation or decrease in energy level
• Apathy
• Irresponsible and/or delinquent behavior
• Decline in emancipatory struggles over parental control
• Poor concentration

• Encourage participation in the community rehabilitation or reclamation work
• Encourage resumption of social activities, athletics, clubs, etc.
• Encourage discussion of disaster experiences with peers, extended family members, significant others
• Temporarily reduce expectations for level of school and general performance
• Encourage, but do not insist upon, discussion of disaster fears within the family setting

Care Tips for Survivors of a Traumatic Event:
What to Expect in Your Personal, Family, Work and Financial Life

Things to Remember When Trying to Understand Disaster Events

• No one who sees a disaster is untouched by it.
• It is normal to feel anxious about you and your family's safety.
• Profound sadness, grief, and anger are normal reactions to an abnormal event.
• Acknowledging our feelings helps us recover.
• Focusing on our strengths and abilities will help you to heal.
• Accepting help from community programs and resources is healthy.
• We each have different needs and different ways of coping.
• It is common to want to strike back at people who have caused great pain. However, nothing good is accomplished by hateful language or actions.

Signs that Adults Need Stress Management Assistance

• Difficulty communicating thoughts
• Difficulty sleeping
• Difficulty maintaining balance
• Easily frustrated
• Increased use of drugs/alcohol
• Limited attention span
• Poor work performance
• Headaches/stomach problems
• Tunnel vision/muffled hearing
• Colds or flu-like symptoms.
• Disorientation or confusion
• Difficulty concentrating
• Reluctance to leave home
• Depression, sadness
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Mood-swings
• Crying easily
• Overwhelming guilt and self-doubt
• Fear of crowds, strangers, or being alone

Ways to Ease the Stress

• Talk with someone about your feelings- anger, sorrow, and other emotions-- even though it may be difficult.
• Don't hold yourself responsible for the disastrous event or be frustrated because you feel that you cannot help directly in the rescue work.
• Take steps to promote your own physical and emotional healing by staying active in your daily life patterns or by adjusting them. This healthy outlook will help yourself and your family. (i.e. healthy eating, rest, exercise, relaxation, meditation.)
• Maintain a normal household and daily routine, limiting demanding responsibilities of yourself and your family.
• Spend time with family and friends.
• Participate in memorials, rituals, and use of symbols as a way to express feelings.
• Use existing supports groups of family, friends, and church.
• Establish a family emergency plan. Feeling that there is something that you can do can be very comforting.

How Families Can Help Children Cope with Fear and Anxiety (From SAMHSA)

The Caring for Every Child's Mental Health Campaign offers these pointers for parents and other caregivers:

• Encourage children to ask questions. Listen to what they say. Provide comfort and assurance that address their specific fears. It's okay to admit you can't answer all of their questions.
• Talk on their level. Communicate with your children in a way they can understand. Don't get too technical or complicated.
• Find out what frightens them. Encourage your children to talk about fears they may have. They may worry that someone will harm them at school or that someone will try to hurt you.
• Focus on the positive. Reinforce the fact that most people are kind and caring. Remind your child of the heroic actions taken by ordinary people to help victims of tragedy.
• Pay attention. Your children's play and drawings may give you a glimpse into their questions or concerns. Ask them to tell you what is going on in the game or the picture. It's an opportunity to clarify any misconceptions, answer questions, and give reassurance.
• Develop a plan. Establish a family emergency plan for the future, such as a meeting place where everyone should gather if something unexpected happens in your family or neighborhood. It can help you and your children feel safer.

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