My Daughter Is Traumatised By A Fire At School

[Skids]

A few days ago my daughter was at school when they had a small fire in the hall. She was playing at lunch time on the field so didn't see anything and wasn't scared by it at the time. However since then she can't sleep because she is thinking about it all the time! We have reasured her it won't happen again and she is safe but she is really traumatised by it! What can I do?

[pixie373]

I can remember staying awake many times when i was a child thinking the corner of my bedroom was going to catch fire. There was no reason that i can remember, maybe something I'd seen on TV.
I think the thing to do is put her more in control of it. Speak to the school, as there may be others freaked by it. Maybe they can do a fire practice, so that she knows what to do if anything does happen, she'll know what to do. Same at home, show her how to get out and keep herself safe. It will go, but might take a while x

[DTCwordfan]

sensible advice ^

[pixie373]

...and unfortunately, you can't reassure her it won't happen again-although unlikely. She knows the possibility is there, so help her face it

[sherrardk]

Could you get the fire brigade to do a safety check on your house - http://www.fireservice.co.uk/safety/hfsc

[Eve]

I was going to suggest the same as Sherr, get some nice firemen round who may also have ideas on what to say to her to help.

It's a difficult thing to get over though. I was meant to be sleeping in a room one night and only for the sake of a last minute change of plans I slept elsewhere and the building (with others) burned down overnight. I knew a lot of the people who were in there and saw the aftermath and a few years later I woke up and a lamp had fallen on my bedding and set fire to it, right next to my bed.

I'm still quite fanatical about some things fire related and I was an adult. I am getting more relaxed as times go on but I often have this fear that my house will catch fire while I'm out and am glad when the cat goes out for the day so if it does catch fire she isn't in there....

Maybe the school could help as well? Get plans in place so that the children feel reassured if anything happened again, encourage them to talk about their fears (even see if the school would have some firemen in) etc...