FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – During a severe weather event, such as thunderstorms, kids’ anxiety can increase. Psychologists at Sanford Health say that having a plan during a thunderstorm can help reduce stress and anxiety significantly.
“If we hear sirens, we know this is our safe place to go in the house to keep ourselves safe,” said Dr. Katelyn Mickelson, Sanford Health. “Have examples of people who did those things and kept themselves safe, and can be reassured that they’ll be ok if the storm does hit again.“
Common signs of fear or anxiety during a thunderstorm or at any time, for that matter, can be nausea, stomachache, crying, or heavy breathing. The type of talk that you should have with your kids should also depend on their developmental skills.
“Be more transparent with kids in the developmentally appropriate age,” Mickelson said. “So the story grows as the child grows, so at a very young age if I’m working with a 2 or 3 year-old, I might say ”yup there’s a scary storm outside and we’re going to be in the basement and it helps keep us safe if there’s really heavy winds and we need to be safe. Whereas a 12-13-year-old, you might be more open about the weather pattern we’re seeing, how far away this is, and so we’re going to be in the basement for that reason.”
During a severe weather event, having your kids be on some type of electronic device can also be beneficial. While daily screen time can vary by age, having the screen during the entire event can be beneficial.
“That would be a very appropriate time to have the screen so that they can have something to distract themselves,” Mickelson said. “Or have some toys in your weather preparedness kit so they can have something they can play with and be special during that time.”
For the night of Friday, June 26, the Valley News Live weather team is tracking severe storm risks. More information on up-to-date storms can be found here.
Copyright 2025 KVLY. All rights reserved.
发表回复