Natalie Arnel

(School Psychologist)

narnel4@hsstsv.catholic.edu.au

For any  family that is concerned about how their child/children are coping following the recent flooding to contact me immediately on narnel4@hsstsv.catholic.edu.au to arrange a meeting. 

Tips for parents on how to help their child cope following a severe weather event

- Answer questions honestly and age appropriately.

- Reassure your child that what has happened is not their fault and that adults will always do their best to keep children safe.

- Normalise feelings and encourage them to continue to share their feelings with words or pictures.

- Minimise distressing images or verbal media reports that children are exposed to.

Following a severe weather event there will be numerous media reports and distressing images shown on TV and in print. In order to minimize the impact of this on children parents may like to:

- have a TV in a shared area so you know what your child is watching. Be aware that radio reports can also upset children.

- try not to leave newspapers with upsetting photographs where young people can look at them. Discuss them with older children if they wish to and then put them away.

- Don’t forget that children pass on news to each other when adults are not around even from preschool age. Check what children have heard when they come home from school to ensure that the information is not distorted.

- Children may report the following feelings following a cyclone or severe storm: scared, angry, sad, afraid, tired, guilty, relieved, panicked, hopeful.

-All of these feelings are normal to some extent but should be monitored carefully. Try to avoid dismissing your child’s issues as trivial – as this can create a belief that the events were too awful to talk about.

Source: Kidsmatter, Headspace

PRIORITIZED KIDS HELPLINE CONTACTS FROM YOUR AREA

We have prioritized Kids Helpline counselling support (phone & web) for young people contacting from flood affected areas of Central, North & Far North QLD.  If any students need individualized support, they are most welcome to contact us for free, 24/7 on 1800 55 1800 or access webchat or email counselling via our website: www.kidshelpline.com.au