5 Life Lessons Children Learn During Hurricane Season

5 Life Lessons Children Learn During Hurricane Season

In Louisiana, hurricane season isn’t just about flashlights, bottled water, and weather updates. For families with children at home during summer break, it’s often an unexpected lesson in patience, resilience, responsibility, and finding connection when the power and the Wi-Fi disappear. 

At first, nobody is thrilled when the power goes out. Complaints about Wi-Fi, phone charging, and canceled plans usually come quickly. But after a while, something interesting happens. We pull out board games, cards, and old family favorites that haven’t seen daylight in months. We talk. We laugh. We tease each other over who is winning. For a few hours, the screens are gone, and we’re together.

As parents of teens, I know how difficult it can be to compete with social media, streaming services, and group chats. Hurricane season has a way of slowing life down just enough to remind us that some of our best family memories don’t require electricity at all.

During the flood of 2016, we weren’t quite prepared for what we experienced on August 13th, 2016. On this day, while watching the news, we saw different neighborhoods around us flooding; however, on our side of town, the rain finally stopped. It wasn’t until my husband woke up out of bed to go to the bathroom before the crack of dawn that he would step into rainwater now in our home. This was the moment we began taking action, not only during hurricane season, but also during any bad weather emergency. Many lessons were learned during this period of our lives, but here are 5 life lessons we all learned at that moment in time.

Preparation Builds Confidence – Teens learn responsibility. 

Before a disaster strikes, it’s important to stay ready and stay ahead of the danger. From putting batteries in the flashlights and portable fans to filling up ice chests with ice from the ice maker, and even having a financial plan. Our teens have learned from our family meetings that we all pitch in, and just for a moment, we are in sync, and there’s no complaining because we know what’s at stake. We are more confident knowing We are more confident knowing we are prepared.

Flexibility is a Life Skill – Plans change.

Being able to understand that in life, sometimes plans change, and that is ok. One minute you’re asleep and the next you’re packing things in bins to save as much as you can. School and work may be closed, and that’s when we come together even more. If the power is still on, watching movies together or playing games helps us build on that connection as a family that we once lost. Being flexible is what life is all about, because change is constant. 

Community Matters – Neighbors helping neighbors.

During this particular event, after the water settled and we were able to inspect the damage, many community organizations like the Red Cross came into the neighborhood to deliver meals and supplies. We were even invited to a BBQ with a neighbor who had power on her side of the street, which our family had never had previous interactions with before. It was such a nice gesture and consideration to invite the block during some tough times. It shows children of all ages that people can come together and support one another, even when they are strangers. In a world that often feels busy and disconnected, moments like these remind us of the power of kindness, generosity, and community. 

Gratitude and Respect  – Appreciation of people, places and things.

Something happens when there is an emergency or special weather event, and your kids realize what is truly important. The home that was destroyed and now has to be gutted, the clothes, shoes, and toys that will need to be replaced, and all the food in the fridge and freezer will need to be bought remind us of how important having gratitude and respect for our possessions are. They learn about appreciation and what it means to lend a helping hand long after the storm has passed. Acts of compassion and kindness are what people remember most. 

Resilience Grows Through Challenges – Storms pass, and stronger families emerge.

Through life’s challenges grows resilience and strength. We remember this flood event and know we are stronger because of it. Our kids watched us navigate the rebuilding process, even though we had to move into a temporary apartment and go to the laundromat to wash clothes. Even though they had to attend schools across town and be displaced for a while, the test of this event kept us closer and connected as a family. We are more knowledgeable and equipped to handle an event like this or another.

Without a proper hurricane or emergency plan, dealing with a situation like this is very challenging. However, we’ve learned many things while going through this event. Preparation is key, and that means staying connected to news reports, having supplies readily available, and preparing the home as needed. Our kids know that during an emergency, everyone plays an important role. To bagging sandbags, putting batteries in flashlights, and charging portable chargers, everything helps. We have much respect for Mother Nature and do not take anything for granted. We appreciate the possessions we’ve gained back and have come out of this event stronger.

So my advice is to stay ahead of the storm, create a preparation kit, and know that your family can endure any event that requires sticking together.