Q&A: Dealing with disasters and wintertime allergies

Q: Hurricane Sandy didn’t come near where we live. However, while we were all worried about the people it affected, my 8-year-old daughter became very frightened and upset. Is that kind of anxiety nutty or normal? – Georgia P., St. Louis

A: Children often personalize situations — fearing that bad things will happen to themselves, their family or friends. So your child isn’t nutty, but you are describing anxiety that’s not constructive. You want to help her get over this and then find ways to prevent her from getting that upset next time there’s news of another natural disaster or some man-made tragedy.