New BrunswickWildfires across the province be a worry to many in New Brunswick, including children.There are age-appropriate ways to engage, psychologist saysCBC News · Posted: Aug 19, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: August 19It’s important for parents to talk to their children about the wildfires in New Brunswick instead of ignoring the issue, an expert says. (Government of New Brunswick)Days of wildfires across New Brunswick might be a worry for many in New Brunswick, including children.One psychologist has some tips about how to help manage the stress in children who may have questions about what is happening. The best approach is for parents not to simply ignore the problem, says Brent Macdonald, who works with children and families in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Alberta and British Columbia.”It’s like, if I don’t talk about it, my child won’t worry — which is true if we only have that ‘ignorance is bliss’ kind of idea,” Macdonald said in an interview with CBC News. “But invariably, the kids are going to get the message somewhere.”Parents should communicate the issues with children in an age-sensitive manner to let them know that although fires are burning, children and other people are, broadly speaking, quite safe.Younger children who are still developing language skills might react through behaviour rather than speech, such as coming into their parents’ room at night to feel more comfortable.WATCH | How to involve your kids in an evacuation plan: Wildfires could be the new normal. How do you talk to your kids about them? A youth psychologist offers tips on how to have difficult conversations with kids about natural disasters — without terrifying them. Older children who can talk and understand the issue more can be engaged with through questions, such as asking about their awareness of the wildfires and if they have any concerns. Some kids might not be concerned because the threat isn’t immediate to them but are aware of areas that have been asked to be ready to evacuate if necessary.Macdonald said talking to kids about the ways they are kept safe can help too. Children would be familiar with fire drills at school so that everyone is prepared for an emergency. “That could be really quite reassuring for a lot of kids because it’s something they’re familiar with,” he said.Families can practise their own drills at home to make sure everyone, including the children, know what they would grab if they had to evacuate. “Having them understand that this could happen in the morning, it could happen in the evening, it could happen in the middle of the night,” Macdonald said.Children pick up on emotions and stress of their parents, so Macdonald said it’s important for parents to keep as calm as possible when talking about the threat of wildfires.”If we see all of our role models around us kind of freaking out and having kind of extreme panic reactions, then we’re going to have panic reactions as children,” he said.Parents being as prepared as possible can help reduce anxiety, he added. “So they can say, ‘OK, we can have a scary situation or frightening situation, but we don’t have to have a big panic reaction to it.'”With files from Clare MacKenzie
How to talk to your children about wildfires
