{"id":166,"date":"2023-01-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-04T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nurtureone.com.au\/?p=166"},"modified":"2024-10-10T22:39:12","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T12:39:12","slug":"natural-disaster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nurtureone.com.au\/news-advice\/natural-disaster","title":{"rendered":"Supporting children through unexpected events: Natural Disasters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Life doesn\u2019t always go to plan. From time-to-time families and children may face challenging or unexpected events, incidents and changes. Thankfully these are rare. But knowing how to talk to your child about such events in an age-appropriate way can be helpful for them, and you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

G8 Education has drawn on the expertise of child psychology and early childhood education professionals to develop a suite of resources families might find helpful when they need it most. Here you will find information and tips that can help you talk to children about unexpected events, and also services that can provide more support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can help children to navigate challenging events in their lives by ensuring they feel supported, both by their families and their educators. If you or your child are going through a difficult time, talk to your centre manager and educators about how we can work together and support you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natural disasters can have a significant impact on children and families. In Australia, these events may include bushfires, cyclones, or floods. They can be traumatic and devastating for children, their families and broader communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When natural disasters hit, children may encounter an extremely frightening experience or endure significant disruptions and losses. Children can be affected either through direct experience of the event (cyclonic winds, damage to the home) or indirectly through hearing about these events from adults or over the media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children are not always able to describe and express their emotions in the same way as adults, so they may not react to stress the same way. However, children are especially vulnerable to the emotional impacts of natural disasters and often rely on adults around them to provide support and protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can natural disasters impact your child?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Younger children, with developing language skills tend to communicate their emotions and stresses through their behaviour. However, as children reach toddler and kindergarten age (2 to 5 years) they are likely to be better able to speak with you about their experiences. It is particularly important to look out for changes in children\u2019s behaviour that suggest they are unsettled or distressed, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n