Everyone is afraid of something at one point in life. Some kids have to deal with their fear of thunderstorms, and sometimes, even the slightest sign of rain causes them crippling anxiety. Your kids might not tell you that they are afraid of thunderstorms, but you can tell from their body language, like sweating and shaking when thunder strikes.

As a parent, consider talking to your kids about the safety precautions you’ve put in place to protect them from storms. Knowing that you’ve planned and prepared to tackle the storm, kids will feel safe. Encourage them to share out their fears and inquire about anything they would like to know about thunderstorms.

Make Positive Associations with the Weather

Your kids might have developed the fear of thunderstorms from something they heard or witnessed. The first step to help them positively associate with the weather is by first reassuring your kids that they are safe.

Help them have a drawing session while listening to some music on headphones during a thunderstorm. From that, your child will then grow to associate thunderstorms with a fun activity and will automatically adjust their senses as they grow older. 

Try Using Fiction and Nonfiction

Abnormal and persistent fears may root from experiences or something in someone’s head. If they fear thunder and lighting, tell them fiction and non-fiction stories to help your kids. Have a storytelling session with your kids and explain the origins of thunder.

It would be better if your story has the humor to help the kids relax. Also, encourage them by getting books that explain how lighting happens. The information in these books should be suitable for a child of a certain age. It should be easy to understand. 

Make a Bad Weather Plan

Advise your kids to take note of daily weather forecasts on charts. Show them how to check the weather report daily to know when to expect thunderstorms. From there, you can tell them what one should and shouldn’t do when there is an electrical storm.

Learning to expect a change of weather and preparing for it helps ease tension. Making a bad weather plan helps kids transition to a point where they will understand that weather changes are just temporary and that bad weather will eventually go away. 

Overcoming the Fear of Thunderstorms

Fear of thunderstorms is one of the common types of phobias among children. You can comfort your child when thunderstorms come on, but you must teach them how to deal with their fears. That way, your kids will overcome this fear as they grow older. Apply some of the techniques above, especially on older kids, and see what happens.

Connect with us to learn more tips on how to help kids overcome weather-related fears.