A window you can see the sky from, a few steps backHave
A blanket or couch cushions to sit on togetherHave
Paper and a pencil to log each countHave
A flashlight in case the power goes outHave
Where: A room where you can see the sky from a few steps back, with nobody touching the glass, a door, the sink or anything plugged in.
Lightning safety: read this first
Inside the whole time. If you can hear thunder, you're close enough to be struck. No porch, no open garage, no running out to look.
Back from windows and outside doors. Sit a few steps away and don't touch the glass, the door or its handle.
No baths, dishes or plugged-in things until it passes. Lightning can travel through a house's plumbing and electrical wiring.
Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before anyone goes outside. If a severe weather warning comes, stop the plan and follow it.
02Steps
Set up the watch post
TogetherWhen you hear the first rumble, pick a spot a few steps back from a window where you can still see the sky. Spread the blanket and sit together. Say the rule once: "We watch from here. Nobody touches the window, the door or the sink until it's over."
Count flash to boom
KidWhen the lightning flashes, everyone counts out loud, "One one-thousand, two one-thousand," until the thunder. Write the number down. Do it for five or six flashes.
Turn seconds into miles
Dad showsKid copiesThunder takes about five seconds to travel a mile. So 5 seconds is one mile, 15 seconds is three miles, and a count of almost zero means very close. Divide each number by five together. Is the storm getting closer or moving away?
Talk about the scary part
DadWhile it rumbles, ask: "What part of a storm feels scary to you?" Listen all the way through without fixing it. Then name one of your own fears, past or present, and what helps you. Don't tease the fear or push them to be brave.
Make a storm plan together
TogetherWrite three lines on the paper: where we go when we hear thunder, what we don't touch, and one thing that helps when it's loud (a song, a hug, counting). Tape it inside a cupboard for next time.
Wait out the last rumble
KidWhen the counts get long and the thunder stops, start a 30-minute timer from the last rumble. Nobody goes outside until it rings. Fill the wait with a book or a snack.
03If it stalls
If they're too scared to watch, skip the window. Sit in a hallway, count the thunder with eyes closed, and hold hands.
If they can't count fast enough, you count out loud and they hold up a finger for each second.
If the talk gets one-word answers, go first and keep yours small: "When I was little, I didn't like the dark."
If the fear of storms keeps going long after the storm and gets in the way of everyday life, mention it to their doctor.
04Variations
Ages 4–5
Skip the dividing. Just count, and say "big number, far away; small number, close." The talk can be one question: "What does the thunder sound like to you?"
Ages 6–8
The full plan. Let them keep the log and announce "closer" or "farther" after each count.
Ages 9–10
Make a two-column chart of time and miles and plot the storm coming and going. Ask a harder question: "What's something you're worried about that isn't a storm?"
A field card like this one for the weekend, one quick plan for a weeknight. Nothing else. The first letter hasn't gone out yet. You'll get one email to confirm.
One evening Jesus and his friends got into a boat to cross a lake. Jesus was tired, so he lay down in the back and fell asleep on a cushion.
Then a big windstorm came. Waves crashed over the sides, and the boat started filling with water. His friends were terrified. They woke him up and said, "Teacher, don't you care that we're going to drown?"
"And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." Mark 4:39 (KJV)
Then Jesus asked them why they were so afraid. His friends were amazed and asked each other who this could be, that even the wind and the waves obey him.
Ask while the storm rumbles: The friends were scared even with Jesus right there in the boat. Is it OK to be scared? Who do you want next to you when you are?
Plain-language retelling. Quote from the King James Version (public domain).
06Sources
Counting the seconds. The National Weather Service says to count the seconds between the flash and the thunder and divide by five for miles, because thunder takes about 5 seconds to travel a mile (5 seconds = 1 mile, 15 seconds = 3 miles, 0 seconds = very close). Thunder can be heard only about 10 miles from the strike. National Weather Service Checked Oct 15, 2026
Staying safe indoors. The NWS says to stay off corded phones, not touch electrical equipment or cords, avoid plumbing (no hand washing, showers or dishes), stay away from exterior windows and doors, and stay off balconies and porches and out of open garages. Once inside a building, lightning can travel through its electrical, phone and plumbing systems. National Weather Service Checked Oct 15, 2026
Thunder means go inside, then wait 30 minutes. The NWS says "When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors," that if you hear thunder you are likely within striking distance, and to wait 30 minutes after the last lightning or thunder before going back outside. National Weather Service Checked Oct 15, 2026
Helping kids with fears. The AAP lists thunderstorms among common childhood fears and advises talking with your child and being sympathetic, not belittling or ridiculing the fear, and not pressuring them to be brave. If fears persist and get in the way of daily life, a child psychologist or psychiatrist can help. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) Checked Oct 15, 2026
