3 Tips For Reassuring Your Little Ones After A Road Incident
No adult is going to be their smoothest self when caught in a road traffic collision or incident, but it’s important we do our best to reassure any children that may have been traveling with us. Even if someone accidentally bumps into your vehicle from behind with no major damage, it can be upsetting and even traumatic to have your safety threatened, especially for young ones who have no control over the situation.
It’s hard to plan what to do when the situation happens to you and you feel discombobulated, which is why thinking in advance about your best options can be helpful. The more you can reassure your little ones in the moment, the better off you can be.
The first priority is safety after all, which means checking over everyone’s health and if you can, pulling safely to the side of the road. If it’s safe to leave the vehicle and talk to the other party, you can. Just make sure you follow these rules for the good of your kids, who may be confused and upset:
Show Them You’re Okay Too
Kids watch more than they listen, and the first thing they’re going to do is look at the adult in the car to figure out how bad things are. If you seem panicked or start yelling, that’s going to rattle them more than the crash itself did. So the first thing to do, before anything else, is take a breath and just show them you’re alright. That won’t require putting on a big performance or pretending it didn’t happen while you’re still a little confused, but it can involve turning around, making eye contact, and saying something calm like “everyone okay?” with a warm smile. Let them see that you’re steady, or at least doing your best to be.
Emphasize It Was An Unfortunate Accident But It’ll Be Okay
There’s no need to sugarcoat it or over-explain what happened, but kids tend to fill in blanks with the worst possibilities, so a little bit of reassurance can go a long way. You can just say something simple like “someone wasn’t paying attention but we’re safe, that’s what matters.” That gives them the bottom line without going into the involved nature of it. Most of the time they just need to hear that it’s not something to be scared of forever, that cars get bumped and people make mistakes, and that you’re going to handle it. Even if you imply the other person didn’t mean it, the hostility of the bump can help. You can answer any questions later once everything’s calm.
Have Your Stern Discussion With The Other Party Outside The Car
It might feel natural to talk things out through the window or raise your voice while still inside, but try to step out before saying anything serious. If your tone gets sharp or frustrated, the kids are going to pick up on that and start getting worried all over again. Try to be as affable as you can and take pictures to collect evidence while you take their details. It’s easier for kids to relax if you’re not having that kind of conversation right next to them. You can always talk to a trusted car accident lawyer to make your claim after the fact.
With this advice, we hope you can more easily reassure your little ones after a road incident.
