My child suffers from anxiety. It’s an element of his autism spectrum disorder. He isn’t unique in this. Many children feel mild to severe anxiety at some point. Anxiety can be especially strong at times of loss and during times of world crisis. I’ve been hesitant to discuss the Japan earthquakes with my preschooler, and I probably won’t. But at what age is it appropriate, and what do you say? This is the kind of parenting situation you’re never really prepared for.
We don’t watch the news at home, so I know he won’t be exposed to the situation there. But I wonder if they’ll discuss it at his school.
My son is anxious whenever he thinks about death, so I can’t imagine trying to tell him that many lives were lost in this disaster. I was a nervous kid myself, and I recall being very upset by natural disasters. Do you have children old enough to understand? If so, I’d love to hear your advice on talking to your kids about disaster.
Photo credit Reuters/Kyodo
