| Recovery:
After a fire
After a fire most families can
be expected to recover over time, particularly
with the support of family, friends, and organizations.
The length of recovery will depend upon how
frightening the fire was and the extent of the
damage and loss. Unlike some natural disasters,
where families will return to their normal routine
fairly quickly, victims of fire may have to
contend with damage or destruction to their
home and possessions, overcoming financial hardship,
and possibly obtaining medical care. Children
need time to recover from the loss of a pet
or from having to move out of their school district.
In the case of most natural disasters, many
families in a community may suffer the same
fate, whereas a single family fire often happens
in isolation. It is possible that a family suffering
a fire alone may experience greater psychological
distress.
Children's functioning may be influenced by
how their parents and other caregivers cope
during and after the fire. Children often turn
to adults for information, comfort, and help.
Parents and teachers should try to remain calm,
answer children's questions honestly, and respond
as best they can to requests. It helps children
and adolescents when they understand the event
they have just gone through.
Children's Reactions
It has been reported that after
a fire, almost twenty-five to thirty-five percent
of burned children develop Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD), while approximately fifty percent
display a significant number of PTSD symptoms.
To children, fires seem to be an uncontrollable
event; hence, they need to be reassured they
will be safe. Children react differently to
a fire depending on their age, developmental
level, and prior experiences. Some will respond
by having nightmares or other sleep disturbance,
while others will have angry outbursts. Still
others may become agitated or irritable. Parents
should attempt to remain sensitive to each child's
reactions. The following are typical reactions
children might exhibit following a fire or any
natural disaster:
- Fear and worry about their
safety or the safety of others, including
pets
- Fear of separation from
family members
- Clinging to parents, siblings,
or teachers
- Worry that another fire
will come
- Increase in activity level
- Decrease in concentration
and attention
- Withdrawal from others
- Angry outbursts or tantrums
- Aggression to parents, siblings,
or friends
- Increase in physical complaints,
such as headaches and stomachaches
- Change in school performance
- Long-lasting focus on the
fire, such as talking repeatedly about it
or acting out the event in play
- Increased sensitivity to
reminders of the fire
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Changes in appetite
- Lack of interest in usual
activities, even playing with friends
- Regressive behaviors, such
as baby-talk, bedwetting, or tantrums
- Increase in risky behaviors
for teens, such as drinking alcohol, using
substances, harming themselves, or engaging
in dangerous activities
What You Can Do to Help
Your Child
Parents should spend time talking
to their children, letting them know that it
is okay to ask questions and to share their
worries. Although it will be hard finding time
to have these conversations, parents can use
mealtimes or bedtimes to talk. They can let
children know what plans they have with regard
to the living situation, going to school, childcare,
work, and so forth. They should answer questions
briefly and honestly and be sure to ask their
children for their opinions and ideas. Issues
may come up more than once, so parents should
remain patient and open to answering questions
again. For younger children, after talking about
the fire, parents might read a favorite story
or have a relaxing family activity to help them
feel more safe and calm.
To help children's recovery,
parents should:
Be a role model. Try to remain
calm, so your child can learn from you how to
handle stressful situations.
Monitor adult conversations.
Be aware of what adults are saying about the
attack. Children may misinterpret what they
hear and be unnecessarily frightened.
Limit media exposure. Protect
your child from graphic images of the fire,
particularly those on television, on the radio,
and in the newspaper
Reassure children they are safe.
You may need to repeat this frequently even
after the fire has long been put out. The Red
Cross provides materials for children that can
help them learn more about fire safety at http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_584_,00.html.
Spend extra time with your
children, playing games outside, reading together
indoors, or just cuddling. Be sure to tell them
you love them
Replace lost or damaged toys
as soon as you are able.
Take care of your children's
health. Help them get enough rest, exercise,
water, and healthy food. Be sure they have a
balance of quiet times and physical activities.
Try to return to regular daily
life as much as possible. Even in the midst
of disruption and change, children feel more
secure with structure and routine. If you can,
keep to regular mealtimes and bedtimes.
Maintain expectations. Stick
to your family rules about good behavior and
respect for others. Continue family chores,
or having children help out where you are staying,
but keep in mind that children may need more
reminding than usual. Children cope better and
recover sooner if they feel they are being helpful;
afterward, however provide activities that are
not related to the fire, such as playing cards
or reading.
Be extra patient once children
return to school, particularly if they must
attend a school in a new location. They may
be more distracted and need extra help with
homework for a while
Tell your child's school administration
and teacher about the fire and maintain communication
with them, so that they can help make returning
to school a supportive experience for your child.
Give support at bedtime. Children
may be more anxious at times of separation from
parents. Spend a little more time talking, cuddling,
or reading than usual. (You will want to start
the bedtime routine earlier so children get
the sleep they need). If younger children need
to sleep with you, let them know it is a temporary
plan, and that soon they will go back to sleeping
in their own beds.
Help with boredom. Daily activities,
such as watching television, playing on the
computer, and having friends over, may have
been disrupted. If you must relocate away from
your neighborhood, your child may miss out on
extracurricular activities, like sports or dance
classes. Help children think of alternative
activities to do, such as board games, card
games, and arts and crafts. Try to find community
programs (at the library, a park program, or
a local YMCA) with child-friendly activities
your child can attend
Keep things hopeful. Even in
the most difficult situation, it is important
to remain optimistic about the future. Your
positive outlook will help your children be
able to see good things in the world around
them. This will help get them through even the
most challenging times.
Seek professional help if your
child still has difficulties more than four
weeks after the fire.
Therapy for Children
If children have difficulties
for more than six weeks after the fire, consult
a mental health professional for an evaluation.
If the clinician recommends counseling, keep
in mind that Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
has the strongest evidence for helping children
recover from a disaster. Therapy for children
should typically include:
- Family involvement
- Awareness of developmental
level and cultural/religious differences
- Assessment of preexisting
mental health problems and prior traumas and
loss
- Explanation and normalization
of the child's psychological reactions to
the attack
- Teaching ways to manage
reactions, including those to reminders of
the fire
- Teaching problem-solving
and anger management skills as needed
- Helping to maintain normal
developmental progression
What Parents Can Do
to Help Themselves
Parents may have a tendency
to neglect their own needs during a crisis.
In order to be able to take care of their children,
parents must take care of themselves. Here are
some things parents should keep in mind:
Take care of yourself physically.
Eat healthily, get enough sleep, and get proper
medical care.
Support each other. Parents and other caregivers
should take time to talk together and provide
support as needed.
Put off major decisions. Avoid
making any unnecessary life-altering decisions
during this stressful post-fire period.
Give yourself a break. Try
not to overdo clean-up activities. Avoid lifting
heavy items or working for extended periods
of time to reduce injury.
What Teachers Can Do
to Help Their Students
Teachers can play an important
role in helping their students recover from
a fire. Returning to school is important in
promoting a child's welfare. Try the following
suggestions to assist you in your work with
children, adolescents, and families, if they
experience a fire:
Talk to the child's parents
to find out what secondary stresses they are
experiencing following the fire, such as finding
housing, financial hardship, injuries to family
members, or loss of family pet. In this way,
you can be sensitive to the extent of the distress,
and able to refer the family to community resources.
Find out about the child's
experience of the fire, so that you will be
aware of curriculum content, field trip experiences,
or other school activities that might trigger
reminders for the child.
Be flexible with regard to
amount of homework and requirements; for example,
accept handwritten assignments for a child whose
family has lost their computer.
If a child has relocated to
your school temporarily, due to the family home
being uninhabitable, maintain a packet of information
on the childâ??s progress that can be
sent to the original school district upon the
child's return.
If a child comes to school
with burns or wounds, address both the needs
of the child and of the other students. Speak
with the administration and faculty about ways
to support the injured child and reintegrate
him or her into the school community. Provide
opportunities for the other students to learn
about the injured child's experience, so they
can be supportive rather than ridiculing.
|
