Several times in recent years, schools have been hit by tornadoes. In most instances, fortunately, classes were not in session. In some other instances, where students were present, school officials made fantastic choices and saved many lives.
Over the course of the next month or so, schools around the country will encounter their own “Severe Weather Awareness” weeks. Each state has its own scheduled week, and during this week, schools will have their tornado drills.
For me, growing up, tornado drills were nothing more than an opportunity to get out of class, sit in the hallway next to a friend and have a conversation. This behavior usually netted me a detention, but hey, at least I was not in the classroom!
With Nebraska’s Severe Weather Week coming up soon, I want to encourage you to talk to your kids about severe weather awareness issues. Scrolling back through all of the blog entries here, you can find a vast resource of information or you can visit the local National Weather Service websites.
Why should you talk to your kids now? Because I know kids. When the day arrives for tornado drills at your child’s school, they will already have been warned. The drill will be held with the lights on in the hallways and probably in the middle of the day. While the drill is important to teach your children the LOGISTICAL aspects of what they should do, it will in no way prepare them for the real thing psychologically. When the real thing happens, there will be no lights in the hallways except for those “spooky” little emergency lights. It won’t be quiet in the hallway and it certainly will not be quiet outside. The kid next to them will not be talking about X-Box or Justin Bieber either, chances are, that kid will be crying or scared speechless.
When we tour schools and libraries and churches around the country, we encourage families to have two tornado drills at home. The first should be mid-day with the lights on at a pre-arranged time. If that goes well, the second should be at a time only you know, should be at night, in the dark with the lights off. You'’ be shocked to find how much longer it takes you to get to your "“afe place” when the conditions are changed.
The same applies to the school drill, only we know the school is not going to be able to simulate the real-deal, so by spending 10 or 15 minutes with your child before Severe Weather Awareness Week, you can make them aware that this upcoming drill is important, that you expect them to pay attention and take it seriously, and to imagine a different environment when they are practicing the procedure.
Lately I have fielded some questions about how young is too young to discuss this all with children…make no mistake. Even the youngest children know what a tornado is and what it does. They watch it on television, they learn about them in school. There is no reason to traumatize your child, but don’t whitewash the important facts! Tornadoes are dangerous and kids need to take them a lot more seriously than they see folks doing on television!
I remember that poor teacher of mine, yelling at me to shut up during drills… If my parents had sat me down for a few minutes, perhaps I would have taken the whole thing a lot more seriously.
