It’s been a week since the wild fires have struck California, this most recent time, and this time, the most destructive that have been seen. Regardless of the blame, no one can doubt the horrible situation these citizens who are affected are living. To be displaced from your home, for children to have their schools destroyed, communities leveled, it’s all just heartbreaking to see right in front of us.
For children to see this on television can be very disturbing and worrisome for them. Here are my suggestions as a mom, grandmother and teacher. Try to limit or turn off the television. Listen to your children’s concerns and answer their questions in age appropriate explanations. Don’t give ‘over their head’ answers for them to have more to worry about. At bedtime, ask them what’s on their mind so that they can ‘unload’ their worries on you and you know what’s on their mind. These are frightening scenes they are seeing and be aware that may be very alarming to them. Pray with your children for the people of California, for safety and for guidance and patience in their day to day life as they move towards getting their lives back to their new normal as much as possible.
At the dinner table, in the car or when you are spending time together, talk about fire safety in your home and what they should do if there is a fire in your home. Discuss your family’s plan and where you should meet. Talk about the danger of playing with fire, matches and the stove top.
Last week, I saw Rabbi Chaim Mentz on a panel of Los Angeles areas residents talking about the current fires. He is the Rabbi of Chabad Bel-Air and had some tip for those affected by the fires. Rabbi Metz had some good advice, from taking care of the necessary paperwork to make progress in dealing with the tragedy, to take care of one’s self physically and he made a very good recommendation to “do something for someone else.” Whether it is taking food to firefighters, helping out neighbors who need help or donating to a worthwhile cause. He closed the segment with the hardships we go through, bring out the BEST in us. They do. When we are faced with the tough challenges in life, we grow and rise to the occasion. No one wants to see anyone go through these disasters, but unfortunately, the tough times in life may come in one form or another. Encourage your children to rise to the occasion and face a challenge head on. It’s easy to get bogged down when life throws us an unexpected calamity. Let them bring out the BEST in us, and help where we can, maybe even showing someone…A Great Day 🍎
