Two of my children have had extreme anxiety when it's come to stormy whether.
I learned very quickly that there was no way I could eliminate the fear that overcame then during a storm.
Instead I decided to help them in a different way.
Storms can not be prevented, but we can be prepared for when they come.
A Storm Kit for Kids has made all the difference when bad weather strikes.
A Storm Kit for Kids varies depending on the children who may be using it.
Each and every child may have different anxieties related to bad weather.
Keep this in mind as you build your kit.
Today I'm sharing items that have been in our storm kits over the years.
Some items are stored in a simple backpack ready to go.
Other items are set up in our basement for tornado warnings etc.
There are also some items that remain in our vehicle.
You do what works best for you.
A Storm Kit For Kids
A great pair of noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones can do wonders for a child or adult who struggles during storms.
There's nothing like listening to your favorite music to block out the disliked noises caused by storms.
These headphones are our absolute favorite. We have had multiple pairs over the years for each of our kids.
An MP3 player works beautifully with headphones to help children block out scary sounds of a storm.
This particular MP3 player has gone through so much and still works beautifully.
I highly recommend it.
For teens, you may want to consider music apps on their phone.
We use Amazon Music and Pandora which work very well at ensuring we have the music we need when we need it.
When there is our storm, headphones and music go hand in hand with a special blanket for our youngest.
A blanket is a comfort item for our youngest. When she's feeling scared, it's the object she asks for first.
We keep one downstairs on her bean bag.
She has one in her room.
There is also one in the van.
The size of the blanket has changed with age.
I try to order one that she can wrap around her entire body and over her head and is thin enough to fit in a backpack when necessary.
When our youngest is scared of a storm, a blanket and stuffed animal are used together.
The bigger and softer the stuffed animal the better.
Our youngest will squeeze and hug her stuffed animal close when she sees and hears different aspects of stormy weather like rain, wind, thunder, lightning, etc.
She carries this with her wherever she goes during a storm.
Our youngest loves to layer clothing and stay warm. She wants to make sure she'll stay warm no matter where she is.
In her storm kit, we pack a sweatsuit to ensure this sensory need is met.
A sweatsuit is particularly helpful for those times when we need to go to our cellar for a tornado warning or if the power goes out due to wind.
We keep an extra outfit packed in her to-go bag at all times.
Our youngest is afraid of the dark.
For this reason multiple flashlights is a must!
She always puts at least two in her bag in case one runs out of batteries.
Flashlights can be extra helpful if the power does go out or we do need to go down cellar during a tornado warning.
The simpler the flashlight the better.
Our youngest always worries about eating and when her next meal or snack will be.
A storm kit isn't complete if it doesn't include at least one health snack for her to enjoy.
I try to always go as healthy as possible, knowing she WILL eat the snacks if there is a storm of any kind.
The minute a severe storm is predicted for our area, the kids know to fill all of their water bottles.
When the power goes out we lose water as well.
Our youngest knows to add a water bottle to her storm kit.
This helps alleviate fear about having no water.
Drinking water also helps with deep breathing, which can be super helpful if a storm is severe or extremely loud.
One of our youngest's favorite things to do is flip through books looking at pictures and listen to stories.
It calms her and gives her something to focus on.
During storms, she chooses one book to put in her storm kit.
We encourage a book with lots of pages. Picture encyclopedias work great!
Storms can last a long time.
It's very important to our youngest that she know what she's going to do during the entire duration of a storm.
Card games are small and fit inside her backpack quite well.
They pass time if the power goes out or if we're down cellar during a tornado warning.
When cable and internet are disrupted by a storm, card games are a lifesaver!
All of these objects are preferred by our youngest when there is a storm.
She packs her bag each time one is predicted or she hears one start.
Other Storm Arrangements
The adults in the home make sure emergency kits for each person in the family are together, which include medications, food, first aid items, etc.
These are different than a storm kit for anxieties.
We have a card table and chairs set up down in our cellar as well as a few lawn chairs so everyone has a place to sit, if we need to go down there.
Our youngest needs to go the bathroom quite often.
On occasions when severe storms are predicted through the night, we have a slumber party in the downstairs living room, with kits and shoes by the cellar door, ready to grab if needed.
All of these preparations have helped our youngest so much.
Storms still frighten her, but she knows what to do and immediately takes action to ensure she's ready and prepared for what may come.
Everyone in the family has felt relief as she gains confidence in her ability to weather each storm.
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