Common Stressors affecting children

When I thought about common stresses that affect children, I thought about the ones that I had to live through with my children.  It was not the same devastation as many of the victims of hurricane Sandy, which happened on the east coast, but we still experienced the trauma of loss nevertheless.  During 1994, we experienced an ice storm here in Mississippi that was very devastating to many families, including mine.  We experienced the loss of power over several weeks, loss of food, water, lights and heat.  There was little that we could do.  My main concern was not only for my family, but also for many elderly who lived in my immediate area, who were without power and heat and had children in their household that they were helping to raise.  We had heat for short periods throughout the night by sitting up and using our stove, which was gas, in order to generate heat after waiting several days.  We had many of our friend in our home because they lived in wood framed homes that offered little in the way of safety from the cold.  Trees around our neighborhood had fallen on homes and cars because of the weight of the ice.  They had to cut down trees in front of our home that had fallen.  We could do little in the way of escape because it happened so fast.  Children have a hard time understanding what is occurring and fear takes over, when they experience a natural disaster.  There was no place to evacuate to and no place to obtain assistance for several days.  Roadways in and out were impassable and we had to manage on our own.  After a couple of days, we were able to obtain water and because we had can goods in the house, we were able to eat.  We used blankets and slept in clothes, hats and coats to keep warm each day and night for almost two weeks.  We used candles for light at night and were unable to go outside after dark.  This was difficult for many children and elderly adults.  We live in an area of Mississippi which has one of the highest poverty rates in the U.S.  Many families are in very rural towns and have no access to transportation.  Many people in the area never fully recovered from the loss they suffered, following this disaster.

We also experience loss and devastation from hurricane Katrina from flooding and tornadoes.  When I saw the damage and destruction that the people from New York and New Jersey experienced from Sandy, I felt myself praying for them and personally identifying with what they were going through.  It is difficult to cope with trauma as an adult, but it is even worse for children, who do not understand what is happening or why.  I wanted to be able to help in the case of disasters that affect our area and became a Red Cross volunteer.  I also decided to pursue a degree in counseling to assist people in coping with disasters and other traumas.  I know the stress that they have to deal with because I have had to go through the same as an adult and so did my children.  They try to understand what was happening and why but it is difficult to mentally make sense of everything emotionally and psychologically.  Mentally, physically and emotionally, children need caregivers to provide safety, trust and reassurance that they secure and safe from harm.