Resources to Help Children Cope With Katrina

If your children are clamoring for information about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, but you feel that they are not yet ready for television or newspaper reports, here are some resources to consider:

• Scholastic News is a news site for kids, with tips for teachers and parents,
• FEMA for Kids, from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, provides information and activities related to all kinds of disasters.

Other recommendations include the following:

• To help 7-10 year olds understand the impact of flooding and the need for everyone to work together, I recommend “River Friendly, River Wild” by Jane Kurtz, which is based on the 1997 Red River flooding in Grand Forks, ND.
• One of the ways to reassure young victims of Katrina is to read their favorite books aloud to them. Hearing favorite stories, such as “Goodnight Moon” or “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” can provide feelings of comfort and security to a confused and frightened child. It helps children to know that while a lot of things may have changed, some things, like favorite stories, have stayed the same.

See About's Complete Coverage for more about the effects of Katrina.