misadventures

My children have been very sensitive to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Probably more so than they normally would be, since their dad just went to do earthquake relief in Haiti. But they have been asking questions, wanting to know details and praying for the people there. Even Colin last night prayed for "Peese help the peeple be safe." He's not even three yet and he's aware that something big happened.

Its overwhelming to try and explain the unexplainable to our kids, particularly when something this devastating, of this magnitude happens. Where do you even start?

These tips are provided by favorite humanitarian organization of mine called World Vision. I found them so helpful and hope that you do as well!

1. Start by listening.
Find out what your child already knows. You can then respond in an age-appropriate way. The aim is not to worry them with the devastating details, but to protect them from misinformation they may have heard from friends or disturbing images they may have seen on television.
 
2. Provide clear, simple answers.
Limit your answer to the question asked and use simple language.
 
3. If you don't know the answer, admit it.
If your children ask questions that you can't answer, tell them so, and then do some research to try and help them sort it out. If they ask "Why did this have to happen?" don't be afraid to say "I don't know." The reassurance offered can be invaluable in helping your child sort through the truth that awful things happen.
 
4. Follow media reports or online updates privately.
Young children in particular are easily traumatized and seeing or hearing about the horrifying details of the quake may be more than they can cope with. Adults, too, should ensure they are dealing with their own emotions by talking to others, so they can continue to respond well to their children's needs.
 
5. Concentrate on making them feel safe.
When tragedies occur, children wonder if the same event could happen in their hometown. If it was an act of nature that could not be repeated in your area, tell children that. Placing themselves in the situations of victims is not all bad-it is a sign of empathy, an essential life skill, but watch for signs of excessive worrying.
 
6. Give children creative outlets.
Some children may not be prepared to speak about what they have heard, but may find drawing or other creative activities helpful to deal with their emotions and stress. Their drawings can be helpful starting points for conversation.
 
7. Model involvement and compassion.
Tell your child that, as a family, you will be helping the people in Japan by giving a donation to a reputable charity such as World Vision.
 
8. Give your child a chance to be involved.
Being involved in the solution will help relieve some of their anxiety. Invite them to contribute to the family's gift by giving something out of their piggy bank.

TO read more about World Vision's relief work in Japan or to donate, please visit WorldVision.org.

Me: "Now Mommy and Daddy have a meeting, so you guys need to play quietly without interrupting, okay?"

Ellie: "We only interrupt is someone is bleeding or throwing up, right, Mom?"

(insert raised eyebrow from husband here)

Me: "Um… right!"

I was upstairs checking email while my husband was playing with this kids in the girls' room when I heard a huge bump.

Then a scream.

Then another scream.

Then my husband yelling, "COME QUICK! HELP!"

I walked into the girls' bedroom and found Ellie sitting on the floor with blood pouring down her face.

She had hit her forehead on the corner of the desk and had a huge gash in the middle of her forehead. Blood. Everywhere. (Mixed with snot and tears, which helps.) As we went to treat her cut, we discovered something: we had no gauze or other first aid-y supplies. I know we did at one time, but somehow they all got used up and never replaced. Our first aid kit consisted of an open tube of Neosporin and a half-finished box of Cars Band-Aids. Nice.

Long story short, we called our neighbor who is a nurse for her opinion, who said she could get stitches, but probably would be okay if she didn't. Seeing at is was in the middle of her forehead, we decided to err of the side of caution and took her to the ER. They checked her for a head injury, warning us that she might have a concussion and gave us instructions to wake her up every 2 hours all night, and gave her those liquid stitches. (MUCH to Ellie's relief. Ellie hates needles!)

She is doing fine and even went to school today. Mommy and Daddy are recovering nicely as well.

So lesson for the day: PLEASE check your first aid kits and make sure you have everything you need! You never know when you'll need it!!! Today I went to Target and picked up stuff to restock our first aid kit. Hopefully, we won't need it anytime soon. But at least we know we're ready now!

I spent the majority of last week sitting right here.

Talking about the potty, talking about pee pee and poopies.

Talking about all the people we know who go pee pees on the potty, talking about how wonderful the potty is….

And I'd say we're about half way there. Colin is probably making it to the potty about half the time. He's still wearing diapers, since he says he hates Pull-ups and underwear. He is very sensitive to things like new shoes or new clothes, he gets really annoyed by things like tags or things rubbing him the wrong way, so we're easing into the underpants a bit at a time.

And you'll notice something that I didn't have to deal while training the girls: puddles. [See photo] Colin tends to forget to, um, AIM himself. So I've been cleaning the floor. A lot.

The girls have been big helps – they are always asking him if he has to go to the potty and they help him and cheer him on – it is so so sweet. But they may just be doing it so they can steal one of his gummy worms that he picked as his reward.

I still can't believe that he picked those gross sour gummi worms as his treat. What treat did your kids get when they went potty?