Common Reactions of Children After a Storm

Birth to 6 years:

• May not have words to express their emotional distress
• Irritable, crying more than usual
• Return to bed wetting (if potty trained)
• Want to be held and cuddled more than usual
• Can feel helpless, powerless and frightened
• Doesn’t want to be separated or leave care givers
• Trouble sleeping
• Angers easily

7-10 years:

• Understand the permanence of loss
• Preoccupied with details of event & want to talk about it continually
• Difficulty concentrating and focusing on task
• May hear and react to inaccurate information from peers (which adults can clarify)
• Difficulty sleeping and may return to bed wetting
• Fear disaster will happen again
• Irritable and angers easily
• May be sad and not understand why

11-18 years:

• Similar responses to adults
• World seems unsafe
• May become involved in dangerous and risk-taking behaviors
• Fear leaving home and avoid social activity
• Feel overwhelmed by intense emotion but unable to talk about them
• Trouble concentrating and focusing on tasks
• Difficulty sleeping
• Preoccupied with disaster
• Irritable and angers easily