Big Storms, Big Feelings: Helping Kids Cope With Extreme Weather (VIDEO)

This article is part of our monthly Mental Health & Climate Change series about how extreme weather and other climate impacts affect our psychological well-being—and ways we can cope.

Whether you want it or not, there is no shortage of guidance for so many aspects of parenting. You can find endless how-to books, blogs, and social media posts on getting newborn babies to sleep, feeding children “the healthy way,” or setting screen time limits. Whether this advice is helpful or not is a different story. As the parent of twins, one of whom is neurodivergent and has complex medical needs, the realities of my own family life are rarely mirrored in the endless stream of parenting advice.

But I am grateful that new expertise is unfolding for helping our kids navigate the complexities of the modern world—complexities our caregivers couldn’t teach us to navigate, because there was no AI or social media during our childhoods. And while extreme weather has always been a part of human experience, all of us caring for children today know that it didn’t used to be like this. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of weather extremes, like heat waves, wildfires, and strong storms, fundamentally altering the landscape of childhood and parenting.

It is no longer a rare experience for caregivers to have to explain to children why it’s too hot to play safely outside, why the air smells like smoke and the sky is a strange shade of orange, or why the local playground is off-limits because it flooded (again) during a recent storm.

Tell Congress: Support Mental Wellness Resources for Communities Facing Weather Disasters

To support our children through this new world, we need new resources. Thankfully, these resources are emerging. I sat down recently with Dr. Laura Carter Robinson, PsyD, a climate-aware psychologist who has written an excellent set of tip sheets for parents and caregivers on how to support children through extreme weather.

I cannot recommend these resources highly enough. They include practical, easily digestible guidance for things like what to say to a child when a hurricane or strong storm is approaching, how to support kids’ mental health during a heat wave, how to comfort children if you must evacuate, and who to call in a mental health emergency (there’s even a printable guide to emergency mental health phone numbers, with resources in English and Spanish).

I asked Laura what three things she hoped all parents and caregivers would do with these resources, and here’s what she said:

1. Download and print out the tip sheets now, since you won’t always have power or cell service during extreme weather. Put one copy in your go bag and keep a second one in a location where you can always access it.
2. Read the tips before extreme weather hits, if possible, because then they will be familiar to you and can be part of how you relate to your kids through the weather event. Reading the tips now will also give you a chance to reflect on your own child’s unique needs and be better prepared to manage those.
3. Use these resources as motivation to develop a safety plan and make a go bag, if you have not already. To make these goals realistic, consider picking a time in the near future, perhaps this upcoming weekend, when you can work on the plan as a family. It is a good idea to include your kids in the process. (Side note: here’s a solid resource on building an emergency kit from Ready.gov)

During our conversation, Laura and I also talked about how parents can find support themselves when they’re also trying to support their kids—because extreme weather can be scary and stressful for us too. Here’s her guidance:

1. Take one step at a time. Focus on the task in front of you before moving on to the next so that you don’t get overwhelmed.
2. Take a beat before responding, because when we’re under stress we tend to be more reactive. Notice when a reaction starts to bubble up, and pause before replying. You can take a deep breath or count to five in your head to help you pause.
3. Be kind to yourself emotionally. Know that everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes things don’t work out the way you planned.
4. Do something that helps you feel centered in the moment you’re under a lot of stress. There are a lot of options: Splash cold water on your face, or on your wrists and arms. Focus on the floor or ground holding you up and really feel that support. You can do the same in a chair, feeling the chair support you and letting the tension out of your body. Hum or sing to yourself or with others, shake out your arms, or do some jumping jacks or stretches.
5. Take care of yourself and know you don’t have to do this alone. Share resources with other families, and team up with other adults to give and receive emotional and tangible support.
6. Focus on the relationship with your child and let that give you strength. Remind yourself—just like you remind your child—you’re going to get through this together. Parents are such a source of courage when it comes to being there for their kids.

Watch my interview with Laura for a tour of the Climate Mental Health Network’s excellent new resources—and share them with the other caregivers in your life. I hope you won’t need them any time soon, but if you do, know that you’re not alone.