Preparing your kids for a tornado has to be a thorough process. We recognize they are the most vulnerable, alongside the ill. It is only proper that we put them through.
You have to spend a lot of time educating them. Talk to them, prepare, practice & share your prepping experiences with your little ones. Tell them stories because lecturing will only get them bored. Make everything fun but ensure that they understand it is serious.
You are your kids’ role models. So, as long as you’re practicing with them & showing real interest yourself, they will copy your behavior.
Let’s look at the first stage involved in this important aspect of parenting.
Initial Steps for Preparing Your Kids for a Tornado
You can’t just get right into discussing disastrous tornadoes with your kids. It is easy to cross that line & frighten your kids. Yet, it is equally easy to leave everything too childish. There is always the risk that your kids will misconstrue & these critical lessons will go in vain — and in fact, be forgotten when you’re done.
So, how simple can you handle it?
You start by talking about general safety tips. Explain to them that it is a nice habit to regularly look up at the sky, particularly when the day is hot & cloudy. Should the clouds start to gather at a place, specific clouds are forming, the base of the clouds is rotating, the cloud appears to be flashing, or it is descending towards the ground, your kids have to evacuate immediately. They must move to a sturdy building close by.
You can then proceed to talk about the signs to look out for. It is typical for tornadoes to come after strong storms. Hails can come before it too. Also, the atmosphere is usually heavy & moist before a tornado forms. It can become difficult to breathe too. Besides, it can be hot & humid. Tornadoes are the noisiest kids in the class. They sound like loud, blaring trains, so keeping an ear out for them is very easy.
When done, you start explaining how a tornado is formed & why too. Let them know that the funnel that forms is shaped that way since there’s cold, heavier air on hot, lighter air. That’s why it appears as if the cold air is trying to pass through the warm, thick air. You have to take it slowly here. Don’t sound all scientific. You can get funnels to explain to them.
In addition, remind them that the entrance of a tornado can be an unbelievable sight. And by unbelievable, I mean captivating, which will cause them to waste valuable time for evacuation. It will even be a more interesting sight for kids, but you have to inform them that the tornado isn’t something to gaze at. It’s not stargazing.
Conclusion on Preparing Your Kids for a Tornado
Preparing your kids for a tornado is a slow, thoughtful process. You should never rush it. Make sure you don’t take things too seriously or too childishly. They have to understand the implications of a cloud dancing violently towards them.