As adults are processing the stress due to the current wildfire situations here in the north, so are children.

Jennifer Whalen, a Mental Health Promotion Coordinator with the Northern Health Region, says that how we behave during stressful times is an example for others.

“...remember that we’re role models for the people in our lives. Whether it’s our children or people in our community – they’ll see if we’re engaging in positive ways to cope, and kids will mimic that. That will mean they’re either building skills from watching you have healthy ways of caring for yourself or they’ll be focusing on the negative and struggle during this difficult time too.”

Whalen said it’s important to speak honestly with our children and provide them reassurance that steps are being taken to keep them safe.
 
Children will also sense your anxiety and react accordingly, so it’s a good time to explain that we all have times when we are scared, sad, and upset and that these reactions are normal.