Children in a crisis

Children sense tension immediately. What helps them most: adults who stay calm, explain honestly and have a plan.

Beforehand

Not everything at once – start with the emergency card; the rest can follow bit by bit.

• Emergency card for each child: name, phone numbers of the parents and of the contact person outside the area, meeting point. Keep it in their jacket or school bag.
• Clarify with daycare and school: Who is allowed to pick them up? What happens during an evacuation? Leave your emergency contacts there.
• Practise with your children – in a playful way: Where is our meeting point? How do you dial 112? What do we do when the smoke alarm beeps?
• Let them pack their own small backpack (see Backpacks) – it gives them a sense of security.
• For babies: baby formula, water, bottles, nappies for 10 days.

During the emergency

• Explain in an age-appropriate way: brief, honest, without frightening images. “The power is out. We have torches and enough to eat. We'll wait together until it comes back.”
• Take their questions seriously, don't brush off their fears.
• Keep routines: mealtimes, bedtime, bedtime story.
• Give them tasks: holding the torch, handing out water – it gives them back a sense of control.
• Keep news and images of disasters away from young children.

Things to do without electricity

Card games, board games, books, drawing things, modelling clay, a deck of cards in the emergency bag. Read aloud together or make up stories.

Afterwards

Children often process experiences through play or after a delay. Take time and listen. If fears, sleeping problems or withdrawal last for a long time: talk to your paediatrician or a counselling service. For children and young people there is the Nummer gegen Kummer: 116 111, and for parents the Elterntelefon: 0800 111 0 550 (both free of charge, in German).