PBS Kids provides content to help parents and caregivers cope with emergency situations. There are also tools to make sure there is an emergency plan in place. These topics can be difficult to talk about, but with the help of characters such as Daniel Tiger and Arthur, there is a framework in which to have that discussion.
What can we say to children when public tragedies, natural disasters, and upsetting events occur? How can we support our children during challenging times? Here are some resources, activities, and videos to help you and your child cope and build resilience.
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Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
Adults need to support children after they’ve experienced unexpected events. Here are some helpful hints:
- Give plenty of hugs.
- Provide safe ways for children to express their feelings, such as drawing or telling stories.
Sesame Street Toolkits | Support After an Emergency
- Providing Comfort |Assure your child that she is safe and loved. Holding a comfort item, like a blanket or toy, may also help.
- Try to Keep to one Routine | There is comfort in the familiar, especially after a disaster. Choose at least one routine that you can keep even if your situation or location changed.
- Model Healthy Ways of Coping | After a disaster, children look to the adults around them to see how they should feel and react. As much as possible, try to stay calm. It’s also okay for your child to see you cry. You can explain that even adults can feel overwhelmed or upset about what happened.
- Monitor the Media | Avoid your child seeing repeated images of the disaster and its damage as young children may think the event is happening over and over, in real time.
- Guidebook | Here for Each Other a guidebook for parents and caregivers for children up to age 6
