• Children depend on daily routines.
  • They wake up, have breakfast, go to school, play with friends.
  • When emergencies or disasters interrupt their routine, they may become anxious.
  • In case of a disaster, they'll look to you and other adults for help.
  • However, emergencies can occur even when you are not with your child.
  • Therefore, it is important for you to teach children some basic things that can help them to get some help during emergencies.
  • Teach your child how to identify danger signals.
  • Teach your child how and when to call for help.
  • Ensure that your child knows what the phone number of fire services, police helpline is and local community warning systems sound like (horns, sirens).
  • Explain to them how to call for help.
  • Help your child memorise important family information.
  • They should memorise the names of parents/ gaurdians, their address and phone number.
  • They should also know where to meet in case of an emergency.
  • Some children may not be old enough to memorise the information. They could be given a small index card that lists emergency information to give to an adult or babysitter, if available.

Source:

Helping Children Cope with Disaster[Internet]. Available at: https://aasc.assam.gov.in/sites/default/files/swf_utility_folder/departments/aasc_webcomindia_org_oid_4/portlet/level_2/Helping%20Children%20Cope%20with%20Disaster_0.pdf. Accessed on Mar 13, 2020.