Fire Drill

[Pipsqueak]

Ok so what do you do with a child who totally freaks out to the point of hysteria and is petrified (now) of the house catching fire.

This is the child is petrified (again to hysteria) about sand, noises, sea, anything different, flying things etc.

The noise flips her out and the actual exiting of the house magnifies it. I have tried making it into a game, singing songs, lots of reasoning and comfort, pre-warning her etc. I suppose over time she will gain confidence with it - but not great doing a fire drill with her outside screaming (she is 3) in terror.

This is the second drill we have done (pre-warned) with LO and she is sat on my sofa totally rigid 20 minutes later.

[Spangles]

I am such a horrible person as that made me giggle. How awful is that!

My son absolutely hates loud noises, he can't cope with them at all, to the point where I bought him some ear defenders and he wears them for all kinds of things - lawnmowers, aeroplanes, thunder, drills, fireworks - anything that's slightly noisy he'll race upstairs and get them!

I guess her response is all part of perfecting your drills.

I don't know what to suggest, she seems scared of her own shadow bless her. Could it be anything worth the parent taking her to the docs do you think?

Bless her heart, she must find every day so stressful.

[Blaze]

Ummm...you need to consider her emotional needs with this...but at the same time her safety is important too (hence the fire drills)...tough one!

Could it be medical (sesitive ears) ?
Is there anything that would suggest additional special needs?
Has something happened in her past to make her respond in this way?
Or is this just the type of child she is?

...Sorry not much help...just tons of questions!:rolleyes:

You seem to be doing everything to ease the situation...my concern as I said is her emotional needs & the impact this could have on you...I was at a conference & Penny Tassoni was speaking & she was saying that an unsettled screaming child could affect your OFSTED grading as you are not meeting their emotional needs....:rolleyes:

[Minstrel]

Also I would perhaps not mention the word FIRE

Just explain it as 'seeing how quickly we get out of the house when you hear the magic bell'

She might see be scared of the noise but at least it won't be coupled with scary thoughts of fire too.

[Andrea08]

start one step at a time to help this one hun

1- oh lets time ourselves how quick we can get to the garden and find the treasure

2- can we make noises like a police car,,fire truck,,

3- different bells around the house door bell, hand bell music box alarm (not fire) bell

4- after many wks doing just one part put it all together,

get parents involved too and write up in your reflections,,

at the end of the day if there was a fire do YOU know what to do? as the mindees will react totaly differently than they do in a drill!!!!!

good luck hun but try not to put too much onto her unless your good at burning the dinner lol

[miffy]

I think Andrea's got some good ideas about breaking it down into stages for her.

Have you tried seeing how quickly you can get out of the house - no mention of fire, no bells - to see what her reaction is then?

I did look after a child once who was also terrified that the house was/would burn down whenever we practised but he did gradually get better about it (never had full blown hysterics though) so hopefully things will improve.

Talk it over with the parents too and see what they suggest - do they have a technique that calms her down quickly?

Good luck
Miffy xx

[sweets]

I look after a 20month old that hates loud noises i have decided not to do fire drills when she's around! she's only little and doesn't understand the concept of getting out when theres a fire anyway! so i don't feel its fair to do it with her.:panic:

[Pipsqueak]

Apparently (on talking to mum) she has been telling her that we have been practising the alarm and its lots of fun (:rolleyes: )and we do it to keep safe - and has now been nagging mum to practice theirs!!! - :huh:

There have been some great suggestions - thank you, will be putting them into practice I think:thumbsup:

TBH, its not stressful - bless her heart - its just at really unexpected things (on my part and I am not used to nervy children in the slightest). We are working through some things and what you'd expect her to be nervy at she isn't!!! Its quite curious - but mum says that there are things that happened when she was a baby/young that have quite traumatised her.