With  tornados hitting our state just a few weeks ago, our minds turn to natural disasters and how children are being affected.

We are all affected in some way. Young children try to assess, at their own mental and emotional stages of development, the magnitude of what has happened. On the Gulf Coast, we also face the possibility of hurricanes. Natural disasters are beyond our control, so how can parents and those who work with children offer kids  a sense of security in the midst of the storm?

For parents with children under 2 years old, keeping the home environment as normal as possible is a high priority. Young children can easily sense emotional upset through your facial expressions as well as your reactions. To keep children well physically and emotionally, hold them to a regular schedule for meals and rest.

Children between the ages of 3 and 5 will verbalize what they see and feel. Parents, spend time looking into your children’s eyes and fully listening to what they are expressing. This is a time when you cannot half-listen — it is important that you fully interact with their comments and questions. The key is listening and letting your children express themselves during this time.

Parents, the job of the media is to thoroughly cover the news. But pictures on television of bad weather may be too graphic for a young mind to understand. In fact, it may present a picture of fear, which affects a child’s emotions and well-being. Sift through television programs to eliminate ones that may be too graphic for a young mind.

Parents with older children need to be transparent. Older children are very observant and can sense our insecurities whether we admit them or not. Don’t try to hide your reactions but channel your reactions in a positive way. Many of our local churches and agencies are transporting volunteers to help our neighboring families who have been hurt by the tornados. It is good for your family to engage in the many volunteer activities in the community such as disaster relief projects. Reaching out to our neighbors shows our children how we as families and communities can come through a crisis and rebuild our lives when necessary.

Through outreach such as gathering needed items, helping to raise money and sending notes of encouragement influences your children to learn a lifelong lesson of how to help others in need.

Beth Pinyerd lives in Daphne and serves as director of younger children at Faith Family Fellowship in Spanish Fort.

Her column appears regularly in The Bulletin.