My two kids are very much different when it comes to rain, or at least right now. LT is a 5 1/2 boy and Kbop will be 4 in August. Kbop doesn’t have any fears it seems (and that scares me!) LT on the other hand, he’s our first child and therefore is the one that we always looked out for during his infant, toddler, preschool and now KDG years. This probably has led him to learn to be cautious and timid when it comes to new things and most recently rain and storms.
He’s always been afraid of thunder and lightning, as most kids are, but ever since the huge wind and rain storm on June 24, 2010 (link to photos on Flickr) he’s been deathly afraid. We were at the Phillies vs Indians game with my Dad (Papa) and had left just before the storm hit. We were stuck on the Platt Memorial Bridge heading to I-95 when the winds shook the bridge and hail started to come down. We couldn’t see more than 5-10’ on either side of the car. LT was having a crying fit and asking “WHAT IS THAT?” when the hail started to pelt the car. There wasn’t much I could do since we were on the road and there was really no place to pull over. I did end up moving in between two car seats in the backseat of Papa’s car to sit with LT and hold his head in my arms. It helped calm him somewhat but he was still crying and scared like I had never seen him before, and that scared me (inside).
So I KNOW that this incident has left LT with a serious fright about thunderstorms and wind – oh yeah, he’s never liked wind either! I think he saw Mommy and Daddy playing around once when he was 3yo that we were blowing away. How would WE know this would have scarred him!! [Parents: Seriously, don’t pretend to get blown away in the wind! It may lead to anxiety and fear of the wind. It seems to have done that in our situation.]
Ok, so how can I work to fix my son’s fears of the wind, rain, storms, and whatever else he becomes afraid of? Cuz that is what Daddy’s are supposed to do – we fix things, protect our kids, and make things right. The only thing I could think of was to spend some time outside in the rain, probably by myself at first, and then convince my son to come outside and play with me in the rain. It’s kind of funny because my wife and I have always said, “No, you can’t play outside right now, it’s raining!” or “Hurry up, let’s get inside before it rains!” Like we are making him think that the rain is a bad thing or something. So the next time we are both at home I was hoping to Throw A Rain Party – Simple & Fun Rain Play For Kids! (FunTimesGuide.com).
We’ll have to gradually work into a fun time in the rain and recondition our kids so they know they ARE ALLOWED to jump in puddles, get muddy, splash water on us, slide in the mud (i.e, be a kid). Of course, we will all be in VERY OLD clothes before we step out of the house!
So my question…
What you would do in my situation?
How would you help your child overcome the fear of rain and wind?
Do you think going outside can make things worse for him?
(Of course, I’m not taking him outside in a thunderstorm – but some year, he’ll want to sit outside – safely – and watch a huge thunderstorm pass overhead and get sprayed with mist and rain…I loved doing that when I was a teenager – not at 5!)
Here are some pretty cool articles about other fun ways to play with your kids in the rain.
Teaching Kids About Rain & Floods
Should Children Play Out In The Rain?
Fun Ideas For A Kids Rain Party






















