Fern Michonski / Fern’s Music
Pre-School Music Education Expert: The Children’s Advocate for Love and Kindness, Inspiring Creativity and Joy.
Anyone who knows me knows I enjoy children and music. Another hobby of mine is the weather. My children love to tease me and say, “Of course! Mom is watching The Weather Channel!” My fascination with the weather probably came from my grandparents, who were farmers. I find it to be very intriguing and fascinating.
Just yesterday, here in my neighborhood, the weather became very threatening. Severe thunderstorms came rolling through and we were under a tornado watch. The sky was very scary and dark. The wind was blowing hard and huge cumulus clouds angrily hung in the sky. With this in mind, now think about your children. Little ones react to parent’s moods and feelings much quicker than to their words. As the saying goes: “Actions speak louder than words.” On the one hand, we need to demonstrate a healthy respect for dangerous weather. On the other hand, if we panic, our children will too. We need to educate our kids from a very young age to respect the weather. They need to know that the minute they hear thunder, they need to come inside where it is safe, away from windows. I always demonstrated the idea of planning ahead by watching the weather forecast. If you know thunderstorms are likely during the afternoon, don’t plan a fishing trip out on the lake for 3:00 p.m.! That’s easy to say to an older child, but what about a preschooler? How do we get the point across without frightening them?
I have learned that writing songs about different topics teaches lessons that remain in our memories better. Together, my friend and colleague, Cheryl Elizabeth Waddell and I wrote a song called “Stormy Day Rainbow.” It is about a family of bees who suddenly find themselves in the path of threatening weather. Sure enough, the bees buzz to safety inside their hive. When the wind and rain stops, out they come, only to discover the most beautiful rainbow they have ever seen. The children laugh when they listen—but they remember. What did the bees do when the weather got bad? They went inside. Let’s teach our kids without sharing our fear.
The lesson to be learned is: pay attention, watch the weather and have a plan! 
