We just went through a night of heavy storms. While my husband and I usually enjoy the light show of a good summertime thunderstorm, this one was a doozy. Severe thunderstorm watches turned into warnings until finally the dreaded tornado warning was issued.

While we weren’t afraid, our toddler-age daughter was; the thunder was booming, the lightning was like a strobe light outside and, through it all, the tornado siren sounded its eerie whine. At one point in the late afternoon, the sky was dark as night and the street lights came on, our daughter wouldn’t leave our sides.

How to Weather the Storm

• First of all, seek shelter and be safe. Stay indoors and away from windows and electrical appliances – lightning can travel through pipes and electrical outlets. Explain to kids that they are safe inside.
• Acknowledge the fear. If your child is afraid, let him or her be afraid – don’t ignore it or belittle them. Try to talk to them about it, such as what it is exactly that they are afraid of. Just verbalizing the fear might help to reduce it.

• Explain what’s going on. Talk to your children about thunder and lightning, such as what causes them.

• Tune out. While it might be interesting to you to watch the minute-by-minute storm coverage on television, your kids probably don’t need it. They might not understand that what they are seeing on television is not happening right outside the window, and having the TV on can make them more anxious or afraid.

• Have a plan – and get the kids involved. Together, gather an emergency kit for severe weather, including a battery-powered or hand-crank flashlight, a weather radio, water and snacks, and other basics. Designate a certain area of the basement as a storm shelter and practice using it. Planning ahead and being involved can give kids a sense of control over the events.

• Give comfort. Obviously, a parent should try to comfort a frightened child. Stay close to him or her, hug them, and reassure them during the storm. We sat with our daughter and read a favorite book with her, which distracted her from the storms and reassured her. Other ideas are to do crafts, sing, dance, or anything else that might take your child’s mind off of the storms outside.

• Learn about storms. Take your child to the library to read age-appropriate books about clouds and storms. In addition, you can help your child to create his own story about storms. Have him draw the pictures, and help write the story.

Most importantly, if you are afraid of storms, don’t show it – kids quickly pick up on parents’ feelings, and if you are calm and reassuring, your child is more likely to relax.

Spring is a time of new beginnings – when the birds begin to sing again, flowers start to bloom and the leaves form on branches. It’s also a good time to start thinking about storm safety. Remember the adage “April showers bring May flowers”? Well, it’s nearly April, and those showers are coming.

It’s important to be prepared – but not scared – of possible storms, especially if you have kids. Children frequently pick up on adults’ nervousness and will react as well. In addition, many children – especially young children – find the thunder and lightning scary. But if you stay calm, they will, too. Here’s a primer on storm safety:

• Storm watches are put in place when conditions are favorable for a storm to develop.

• Warnings are issued when the National Weather Service has data showing that severe weather is imminent. Severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings are relayed to local radio and television stations to warn their audiences, and are broadcast over local NOAA Weather Radio stations serving the warned areas as well. Local emergency management and public safety officials are also notified of the warnings, and can then activate local warning systems, such as tornado sirens, to alert communities.

Spring is a good time to create a storm plan so that you and your family can be prepared if severe weather strikes. Keep flashlights and candles at the ready and in a convenient place for anyone to grab in an emergency. Make sure that everyone knows to come inside immediately if the sky looks threatening or if watches or warnings are posted. Any pets that are outdoors should be brought in or given shelter from the storm as well. Remember, if you can hear thunder, a storm is close enough that lightning strikes are possible. Head for shelter immediately, preferably indoors and away from windows. If you can, have a storm shelter set up, or designate a corner of your basement as a storm area. Stock the area with extra bottled water, non-perishable snacks and books or activities to keep you and your kids occupied during a storm.

Planning ahead can also help to keep kids calm if severe weather strikes. Having a plan and sticking to it can calm their fears and help everyone to weather the storm.

This post was partly inspired by fellow blogger brit’s post on spending time outdoors with kids and partly by my boys’ preschool schedule of activities. Springtime is expected to be here soon and according to their schedule, lots of time will be spent going to the forest, hiking, and exploring nature’s seasonal changes. And with this additional comment: All outdoor activities will take place rain or shine so dress up your kids appropriately.

After almost 20 years in western Europe, I still can’t get over the fact that people here like to go outdoors, regardless of the weather. Coming from tropical Asia, I used to be cold- and wet-weather shy. Since I got married to a European, I’ve learned that there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong gear.

What I find amazing (and great) is the fact that children here are encouraged to do the same. My boys’ preschool is situated in the middle of the city of Zurich, Switzerland, on the 2^nd and 3^rd floor of an office building. The school doesn’t have a yard, a garden or a playground. When we checked out the school before moving here 2 and a half years ago, the teachers assured us that they go out everyday to different playgrounds in the area. My husband and I took their word for it, knowing the Europeans’ affinity for the outdoors and we weren’t disappointed. The classes go out regularly on class trips to zoos, animal parks, forests, made possible by Zurich’s wonderful public transport – at no extra expense to the parents. Only under extreme weather conditions such as snow- and thunderstorms that outdoor activities are canceled. During those trips, they learn a lot of things, mainly to respect nature. They can touch and draw snails and other sedentary beings but not hurt them. They learn to take home their own rubbish. And they learn to put out the fire before leaving the camping area.

I have already observed this close connection with the outdoors when we were still living in Germany. Starting at 18 months, children could join a playgroup ran by the local mothers’ club. The kids were allowed to play outdoors in a fenced-off public playground for 3 hours, 2 mornings a week. Moms took turns to be on duty to watch the kids. There were usually 3 moms watching 15 kids and watch duty happened at most once a month. This was a great help for all moms who could go shopping, go to the hairdressers, etc. I made use of my free hours by going on jogging runs. Again the play dates were for the whole year, rain or shine and the only shelter the kids had was a shed where toys and a portable toilet and a changing table were stored. When I suggested to a friend from another continent living in Germany at that time to sign up her kids, she was horrified. Maybe it’s a cultural thing

She would have been more horrified if I had told her about Waldkindergarten (translated as forest kindergarten) which exists not only in Germany and Switzerland, but in some other European countries as well. Basically it is what the name suggests: a kindergarten in the forest. The classroom is the woods, with perhaps a hut or a boxcar container as shelter in case it gets too wet. Although my husband and I liked the idea, we decided that our kids should receive some real classroom experience as well, thus our choice of preschool.

But we do not leave the outdoor activities to the preschool alone. We reinforce them as part of family activities. We had out first springtime family walk last Saturday. It lasted for 3.5 hours over creeks, hills, and through forests and even patches of snow left over from the winter. What better – and cheaper – way to spend the first sunny day of March with the whole family?

I don’t generally make a lot of time to go outside for myself. Between keeping the house in order and meeting all my writing deadlines I just naturally seem to stay inside most of the time. It isn’t that I don’t like going outside – quite to the contrary, I like it a lot – but sometimes it just doesn’t happen.

I know kids are supposed to get outside a lot for fresh air and for exercise, so I really try to make sure the kids get outside every day. Whether it’s a romp in the backyard or a trip to the park, I do what I can to get them outside. I want my kids to appreciate nature and to love going outside, and maybe they will grow up to crave the outdoors a little more than I do.

I remember playing outside quite a bit as a child, but I lived in an area of the country where the weather was pleasant for most of the year. Now we live in a part of the country where it is either really hot or really cold with maybe two weeks of truly pleasant weather in between throughout the whole year. That means we have to take a lot of precautions before heading outside so that nobody gets frostbite or heatstroke (depending on the season). I think this sometimes deters me from getting the kids outside. After all, it’s easier to sit in an air conditioned house than it is to slather sunscreen on everyone and pack up a bunch of ice water and sand toys for the park.

Then again, I know what the better option is for my kids, and that’s why I keep heading to the park despite my desire to stay in an air conditioned home.