In this world, there are people who put their lives at risk every day when they go to work. With jobs like firefighters, police officers, and those in the military, there’s always a chance that you won’t be coming home to your family at the end of the day. And while you may have come to terms with this, explaining this possibility to your child can be a real challenge. So although your kids may see you leave the house with your gun and other gear as you head off to another shift, it’s important that you take the time to help them understand just what your career could mean to your family.
To help you in doing this, here are three tips for helping your children understand your dangerous job.
Use Books Or Stories To Help
For little kids, sometimes telling them stories about things that are related to your job and the role you play can help them get a better handle on what you do and what could happen to you while you’re on the job.
According to Barbara A. Schwartz, a contributor to PoliceOne.com, there are a lot of books and stories that can help kids understand that there are some people who may break the law or are living in times of war or need help when a fire breaks out. In addition to this, there are also books available that can help you explain injuries or death to small children that may not be able to grasp all of the intricacies of the topic.
Be Careful About Revealing Too Much
While you want to give your kids enough context about your job that they can understand what you do and what some of the risks are that you’re undertaking, you should also try to be careful not to reveal so much that you bring on more anxieties to your children than they can handle.
Elizabeth of TheEverydayStoryteller.com shares that some people will actually feel less stress and anxiety as they know more about what you do. But for others, ignorance can be bliss. So before you start speaking with your children about how dangerous your job can be, make sure you understand their sensitivity to topics like this.
Manage Expectations About Communication
At some points while you’re working in the military, as a firefighter, or as a police officer, there will likely be an occasion where you aren’t home when you thought you’d be but can’t get in touch with your family to let them know where you are and that you’re safe. While this can be stressful for everyone, NWCG.gov recommends that you try to manage your family’s expectations about communication so that they don’t get too nervous for you if you’re late or unreachable. Try to help them understand that you’ll get in contact when you can and not to worry until there’s something to worry about.
If you work in a dangerous job, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you learn how you can speak with your young children about what it is you do.
