Lincoln, Neb. —For young children, we understand that power outages can be scary, especially at night or following weather-related events such as thunderstorms. We’ve compiled a short list of resources and tips for all caregivers that may be helpful.
Tip on how to reassure young children:
Explain what's happening in a calm and simple way.
You can say something like,
"The lights (power, screens) went out because there's a problem with the electricity. Helpers in Nebraska are already fixing it. They are the superheroes of electricity."
Encouragement and reassurance are important.
You can say something like,
“I’m sorry this is frustrating (scary, upsetting) for you. Power outages can be hard at times. I’m here to help you.”
For very young children you can add “Let’s find your favorite stuffed animal, I bet your stuffy would like a hug too.”
Emphasize that power outages are temporary.
You can say something like,
“Remember when the power went out before, and then it came back on? We played rock, paper, scissors! Let’s do that again!”
Finally, it may be helpful to visit other spaces [if possible] such as your local library or community pool during extended outages.
What if I’m a childcare provider?
Educators have unique responsibilities and requirements regarding emergency preparedness. Child Care Aware® of America provides guidance on creating emergency plans, assembling kits, and keeping children safe during power outages.
Before: Creating an emergency plan, assembling an emergency kit, and planning activities to help families prepare in the event of a closure.
During: Implementing safety plans and using resources from Child Care Aware® of America and FEMA to address hygiene, sanitation, food storage, and medications.
After: Recovery tips, including food safety, dealing with mold, and accessing possible financial resources.
The website also covers all stages of emergency preparedness, including how to respond in the event of a power outage and steps to keep children and caregivers safer.