Thunderphobia---Tips on Helping Children Face Their Fears of the Weather

    Thunderphobia---or the fear of violent storms that are often accompanied by lightning, thunder, heavy rain, powerful winds and even tornado warnings (which, sadly, we've all seen so often across our country these days)--can be stressful for anyone, but severe weather can trigger much more anxiety among children.  Worries about the weather can lead to poor concentration in school; while for other children, they must routinely check the weather forecast on television prior to regularly leaving their home. 
     With anxiety disorders being one of the most commonly diagnosed mental health problems in children, experts led by Stephen Whiteside, PhD., affiliated with the Mayo Clinic Children's Center are helping to shine a spotlight on helping young children and teens to conquer their weather-related fears with some of the following tips:

*Tell children things like thunder won't hurt them.  Explain to them that storms are a normal, natural occurrence of nature. Some children may, at first, seem afraid of storms, but they are really interested in learning more about them.

*Help children face their fears of storms by reading about them, or watching videos of storms.

*Be calm and supportive.  This step is vital, as, according to Whiteside, "if you get anxious or seem frustrated, that's just going to make things worse.  Try to stay calm and help your child to gradually face their fears in a step-by-step fashion."