One of the hardest responsibilities of being a parent is talking to your kids about the things that happen in the world that may scare or worry them. Particularly when those conversations are bound to involve people dying. But when something happens like the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan and affected much of the Pacific Rim last week, its our job to help our kids understand what’s happened.
The magnitude 8.9 earthquake that caused the tsunami hit on March 11th. Affects of the Tsunami are being felt as far away as the California coast, where some cities, like Santa Cruz, are asking for disaster relief funds from the government to address damage. As of Sunday, March 13, the death toll in Japan had reached 10,000 and it is expected to climb.It was devastating enough, but the 23 foot tsunami that struck the country’s northern coast did the worst of the damage, including damaging the back up cooling systems in the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant and causing a crisis in several of the reactors there that still hasn’t been resolved. There have been several explosions at the damaged plant, including one Monday morning after attempts to vent the hydrogen rich steam that is building up in the core and causing unsafe pressure that keeps cooling water from reaching the rods, which are feared to be in meltdown.
Residents, who were warned to stay indoors amidst fears that the explosions are venting unsafe radiation into the surrounding area, are terrified.
“It’s like a horror movie,” said 49-year-old Kyoko Nambu told the AP as she stood on a hillside overlooking her ruined hometown. “Our house is gone and now they are telling us to stay indoors.
“We can see the damage to our houses, but radiation? … We have no idea what is happening. I am so scared.”
Though Japan suffered by far the worst of the damage, affects of the tsunami are being felt as far away as the California coast, where some cities, like Santa Cruz, are asking for disaster relief funds from the government to address damage. As of Sunday, March 13, the death toll in Japan had reached 10,000 and it is expected to climb.
One great way to deal with disasters like this with children is to talk about them from the perspective of how you can do your part to help the victims. Check out this article from Time.com for some ideas.
