How To Talk To Children About Stockpiling – A Psychologist's Advice For Easing Worry |
How To Talk To Children About Stockpiling – A Psychologist's Advice For Easing Worry
It’s a balance of offering children something concrete to understand, but also showing that this is something the adults are taking care of.
Parents editor at HuffPost UK
By now, many of us have heard the UK government’s advice that we should “be ready” for emergencies and the disruption they cause.
As part of its campaign to encourage us all to be prepared for these eventualities, officials recommended keeping stock of 17 items, like three days’ worth of food and water, a torch, a wind-up battery, and a first aid kit.
Whether they’ve heard discussion about it in the car on the radio, on social media or at school, some children will be taking it all in and potentially worrying about what the adults around them know that they don’t.
Dr Sasha Hall, a senior educational and child psychologist, noted that everyone (adults included) will have different reactions to the news around stockpiling.
“Some will be concerned, others less so. And actually, it is completely understandable that some parents might feel anxious. There is uncertainty around what people are being asked to prepare for, and uncertainty can naturally create worry,” she said.
That said, just because something is worrying us as adults, it does not automatically mean it needs to become a worry for our children, she noted.
“Parents are often encouraged to communicate openly and talk about their worries. But we need to be a little more careful when those worries........