Mom's Talk: Talking With Your Kids About Japan

My kids, ages six and four, have definitely caught on to the news of the disaster in Japan. They're asking me questions.

I have allowed them to see some video footage of waves engulfing the land after I had previewed it. The image of a destroyed home can be very unsettling to some children so I limited the exposure. But children, like many adults, fear what they don't understand so explaining some of what's going on seemed the best measure.

I had to field questions like "Are we going to have an earthquake or a tsunami?" in Alexandria and "What about our house?"

When the event first happened, unprompted by me they both took to crayons and paper to start drawing images of what they understood.

Interestingly, the six year old drew a picture of someone in a house yelling "Help!" while the four year old was more interested in the sea life (one of his favorite subjects) that he figured was washing up on land.

I've tried to explain the issues to them in a manner they can understand about the earthquake, the tsunami and focused on ways we can help.

I know this is one strategy that has helped - as they empty their piggy banks they feel like they're doing something and taking action for people who are so far away.

I've collected their money and sent it to the American Red Cross. My daughter's Daisy troop (that's Girl Scouts for the youngest set) has donated its profits from selling cookies to the Girl Scout relief fund. Their engagement in relief efforts has appeased their anxiety and made them feel engaged.