It’s raining at my house. Over the past several days, the National Weather Service has issued the variety of watches and warnings that often come with late summer storms- flash floods, floods, winds. And the whole situation has recently been complicated by the approach and landfall of Hurricane Florence, some 400 miles away. For anyone in my situation, this weather is a nuisance that gets in the way of yard work, and its worst effects for me are probably muddy kids piling into the car after soccer. Not so for many other people.
At the time of writing this, Hurricane Florence has claimed at least five people’s lives. Hundreds of thousands are without electricity. Estimates of the total cost of the storm have started rolling in, and the numbers are so big that they seem abstract. But the billions of dollars reflect actual people’s homes, farms, and businesses. For those of us out of harm’s way, there’s a mandate to help people in need, and an opportunity to use Hurricane Florence to educate our kids and instill values of compassion and generosity.
News coverage tends to emphasize the cause of the disaster itself, the damage and disruption, and the costs. Kids often react to this by feeling anxious. Parents can preempt the anxiety or help to reduce it by focusing on what to do about all of these things. Our kids aren’t helpless, because they’re in a position to help those affected by the disaster.
In the aftermath of some past major storms and earthquakes, my kids have been involved with making donations to charities that provide immediate support to victims, or which are involved in rebuilding. Giving kids options and letting them decide where the money is donated gets them thinking about what people may need. My son has periodically donated the part of his allowance that he sets aside for charity, which helps underscore that generosity means making a sacrifice. It’s Important to have conversations with kids about why you’re helping, to avoid simply throwing money from a distance.
Charity Navigator recently set up a list of organizations that are presently involved in helping victims of Hurricane Florence. While it’s tempting to give a disaster-specific fund, it’s generally better to donate to a charity’s general fund. Huge surges in donations for a specific incident can leave non-profit organizations with money that they can’t legally spend elsewhere, even if there’s no longer a need for the specific types of services they provide in that place.
In addition to helping with people’s immediate needs, there’s an opportunity to teach our kids about how people interact with and are affected by the natural world. When disasters strike, kids are bound to be exposed to news about it, and this can be upsetting. Understanding how weather works makes it less of a mystery and can help kids to feel less anxious. The Smithsonian Institution offers Weather Lab, an interactive application that allows kids to see how different conditions create weather. The National Severe Storms Laboratory provides information about severe weather in simple terms.
Kids want to help and they want to understand. As parents, we can help them put those instincts to good use.
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This post is republished on Medium.
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