Earthquakes: Taking care of children

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The next few days will be a trying time for many in Wellington, but people are being urged to remember that children in particular need special attention at this time.

People are being advised to stay calm and try to focus on being prepared - organising emergency kits and making sure every member of the family knows what to do if an earthquake hits.

Knowing how to behave around children, so as not to cause panic and possibly long-term emotional effects, was also paramount.

Christchurch psychologist Krystyna Rzoska said children needed special attention at this time and parents needed to act accordingly.

"Keep calm around children, because they can pick up stress, anxiety and panic very easily. Talk to them at a child's level about what is going on and what they should be doing to stay calm."

Ms Rzoska said it was important - particularly for children - to keep a level of normality happening in their lives.

"People will be more stressed. Their bodies will be going into emergency alert. So every time there's a noise or a building shakes, they're going to react. They're going to be quite tired and on-edge.

"They should try to keep up any normal activities or routines, because quite often there's a sense of loss."

Psychologist Nikki Duke said a lot of people would be feeling jumpy and hypervigilant.

"There will be a lot of fear of doing things that they normally would not have thought twice about. There will be a fear of leaving children and being worried about children all the time."

NZ Principals' Federation president Phil Harding headed a school in Christchurch during the February, 2011, earthquake.

He said it was still too early to determine whether or not children in Wellington would be heavily affected by Sunday's big quake.

"They will be dealing with the now. That will be fixing the damage ... and the adrenaline is very high and thinking: 'We can deal with this and we're okay'. The stress doesn't come until the quakes keep coming and on and on it goes."

Mr Harding said the difference between youngsters in Christchurch and Wellington is that the February 2011 earthquake struck while students were at school.

"When the February earthquake happened, every kid in Christchurch was in school having their lunch. So school became front and centre of their thinking about the earthquake, because they would think about where they were and who they were with."

Trade Me spokesman Paul Ford said there was 40 times more searches for "survival kit" on the site in the 24 hours after the quake struck.

A spokesman for the Lifeline counselling service said they had received about a dozen calls from people in Wellington following the earthquake.

• Be prepared. Have an emergency kit, warm clothes and sturdy shoes ready at all time.

• Talk about it. Keeping emotions and feelings in won't do anyone any good.

• Stay calm around children. Explain in easy terms what is going on.

• Try to maintain normality and routine.

• Look after yourself. Limit alcohol intake, eat healthily