question
My son is 6 years old and ever since he started pre-k he has been scared of the fire alarms. He hates them. It causes him anxiety. It was worse when he was younger but even after a year or so of being in school he still hates them and gets anxious. We talk about it often and tell him what they are for but he still does not like them. Today the teacher wrote to us that he has been covering his ears the past few days and today he said he had a headache and we suspect it's because the school administrator told him this morning there will be a fire alarm. We asked the school admin, at my son’s request, to let him know the day there would be fire drills. Is this normal after so long in school, what else could we tell him?
Answer
It is perfectly normal. His brain is saying, "hey buddy protect yourself from that awful noise that sent us to anxious land" - so his questions and his hands on ears are strategies to stay safe. It's actually good that he is protecting himself.
Love that you are warning him so he can prepare and not get caught off guard. If you can ask the teacher to hold him or be near him when the alarm goes off, that is great because she can gently touch him and breathe calmly near him so he has a better experience. Also on the fire alarm drill days send him with ear plugs so he can have them on. It's just like wearing floaties in the pool, they help us stay safe and be able to engage in play.