Check in with kids now about how they experienced the Texas winter storms
Allison Chase talked to the Austin American Statesman about how to talk to kids following the storms in Texas last month.
For many of us, the back-to-back snow and ice storms and single-digit temperatures of mid-February were just hard. Some of us went without heat, electricity and water for days. Many of us have had trouble getting basics such as milk, meat and eggs. Kids have been out of school or daycare.
It was a lot.
Our kids might have proven their resiliency, shown us their grit, but some of them could be feeling scared or anxious. Could this happen again? If this happened, what else could happen?
Right now, parents need to listen to their kids. "Be magical listeners," says Jon Lasser, a professor of school psychology at Texas State University. Validate kids' concerns instead of saying things like "Don't worry. It's OK."