Rain Rain Go Away

It's been a sweltering summer and the few storms that promise some respite from the heat have been reasonably welcomed by most of us. Not our dog! Our poor little pup is terrified of stormy downpours. Last night he searched and searched for a hiding place but just couldn't escape the sound of the rain slapping the windows. Up until a couple of years ago, one of our daughters was similarly traumatized, even paralyzed, by storms. We tried everything to de-sensitize her and nothing worked. We held her close and comforted her. We hid under the covers with her. We told her the sound of thunder came from cloud giants bowling and when it got really loud, it just meant they were having an awesome time. It didn't help. Nothing did. Then, one day, she was out in the rain with nowhere to hide and, without warning or hoopla, just came to terms with the water pouring down. She miraculously realized she was not and would not be getting hurt. We had tried so hard to help get her to this point but, in the end, she did it on her own terms. It's pretty awesome now to see her trying to comfort the dog!

Lots of kids are afraid of storms (and plenty of other things). Parents are always looking for ways to help their little ones confron their fears and move on. I had the pleasure recently of reading a delightful picture book called The Rain Train by Elena de Roo, illustrated by Brian Lovelock, that makes rain the stuff of lullabies. Well, I wish I had thought of that years ago!! The sounds of the rain are lyrical and even soothing throughout this colorful, beautiful book. It's the perfect bedtime story to incorporate into the rotation for the youngest of children who just may grow up looking forward to stormy nights!