[TweetyMom04]

Within a week we've had some heavy-duty T-Storms. This is unusual for where we live, but it does rain here nearly everyday. The rain they are used to, no problems.

We've explained the Thunder and Lightning in kids terms, held them, showed them the Sun is shining after the storms, sang songs, taken them outside in the Pj's to see there is no more rain, no more thunder, etc.

Every night, up to 3 hrs sometimes more, after lights out with from them both ! We live on a main road, so they know the sound and feeling of dbl-decker buses, tractors, trucks going by, etc. But with every passing vehicle, we hear a yell "is that thunder" and then We are up until 10pm with this and we are all exhausted in the morning and all feeling After a few I'm more alert.

Added bonus, now when it starts raining, they won't leave your side, for fear of yet another T-Storm. We reassure them, there are no T-storms, just raining.

HELP! Any suggestion for books, anything.

[amyfk]

I want to wish you all the best. We get the occasional storm, but we're not totally prone to them here.
Amy K, NJ

[xxsurroundedbyxy]

My 2yr old loved thunder and lightning because we told him that God is in the sky and is taking his picture. When it thunders we say "oh, God is winding up the camera" (he has an old one that winds in his toybox so he thinks that is funny). Then we tell him to say cheese and when the lightning flashes he says "all done!".

[Jessi_76]

Hi Sharon,

I just wanted to wish you luck! We get HORRIBLE storms here all of the time. And, to be honest, at 32 and 38 yo, they terrify dh and I so much sometimes that we go seek shelter in the basement. Ha ha...guess we'll have to come up with a good "fabrication" for our children as to why we do that when it storms so they don't grow up living in fear. LOL.

Best of luck
xoxox

[angelkisses0102]

DS has sensory issues and he hates thunderstorms...and we live where we have a rainy season and it storms almost daily for 5 to 6 months a year. Not a great combo! When DS was a younger he would fall asleep...that's how bad it affected him.

This year we are working with a great OT and working on empowering DS in many of his sensory 'situations.' So we have taught him to plug his ears with his fingers...sounds so simple but it works. It puts him in control. I also watch the weather forcast and warn him about the upcoming storms...like the storms will probably come after lunch or it will probably rain or it most likely won't rain.

We also look at pictures of storms (on the internet) and we watch the local radar to 'track' the storms. We talk about what causes storms too. Oh, we may have also mentioned it was God bowling too...

Good luck...

[GCS]

This is super common. There is new post on FRUA about a pre-k-er who called 911 on his mom because she wouldn't come in from gardening and a storm was coming.

I love storms so I am trying to encourage that along with a healthy knowledge for safety risks to the kids. Its a hard balance and we've had a lot of storms lately.

For my son with the sensory issues a lot of it is about understanding and control. Now that he knows what he is supposed to do in a storm he will tell the dog "not to worry, we're inside the house" or "we need the rain so the grass will grow". This gives him a sense of power over it.

Since you have two the same age maybe you can role play with them when a storm comes in. Like "your brother is worried/scared/nervous about the storm, what can we tell him to make him feel better?" I think when they learn to work it out for someone else it helps them work out their fears for themselves.

[ophelia72]

What about desensiting them by playing a thunderstorm CD or tape. I have a collection of all different nature sounds loons, thunder storns, whales, ocean sounds. Just making a suggestion. Goood luck and godspeed.

[MamaChinch]

What about some books about weather? They could see the pictures and learn about it and talk to each other about?
We are in CA where we get about one thunder and lightening storm a year, if that, so I do not have much other advise.
I remember when I was around five, there was a storm, I was scared, and my uncle and I sat by the window watching and waiting and talking about it and I have loved them every since. He taught about counting in between the thunder and lightening.....
Good luck!! Poor babies! I know if we had them here Delaney would be scared, too.
Love the God is taking your picture idea!!!

[dnrindal]

Our daughter was very frightened when she first came home and we had our usual summer storms. My husband, the scientist, taught her the following: One hand is warm air and the other is cold air and when they come together, CLAP, thunder. We would go through it with her every storm and it seemed to help. I, of course, rather liked the God bowling story but my husband thought we should give her the science answer. He had used it for his two older kids when they were little and now one's a dentist and the other a doctor! Early influence!?!
Good luck!

[manon]

There's a Bill Cosby book where Little Bill is scared of thunder & his family tells him it's God stomping & clapping at winning at bowling.

My daughter (now almost 7 yrs old) insists she has to come sleep with me when there's thunder, but she has admitted that when she happens to hear thunder when she has a sleepover at her godparents' house, she doesn't even notice it.