The devastating blaze that broke out at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po was severe, with many people losing their lives, suffering injuries, or still missing. Those who heard the news were heartbroken, and those who witnessed the scene were shaken. Live television footage showed victims wailing in despair, overwhelmed by grief as they searched desperately for missing loved ones.

Even adults experience a sense of fright, anxiety, and distress when witnessing such scenes. Beyond grieving for the victims and mourning for the bereaved, many are left questioning—why must such a disaster strike innocent people? Some may even feel deep anger toward those responsible for causing the tragedy.

If the emotional impact on adults is already so intense, the effect on young children is even more profound and unpredictable.

As responsible and caring parents, how can we help young children make sense of their confusion and gently ease their shock? How can we guide them to understand the unpredictability of disasters while fostering empathy and compassion for those affected? And how can we help them appreciate the importance of social concern, unity, and mutual support?

As a person who has spent over forty years providing clinical treatment for individuals with psychological trauma, I would like to offer parents a few simple guidelines:

First, when parents and young children encounter extremely disturbing scenes, they should avoid prolonged exposure. This helps prevent ongoing mental tension and reduces the heavy psychological strain the scenes are causing.

Second, parents should not show indifferent attitude towards such disasters. Some may feel overwhelmed by their own life pressures and believe they have no capacity left to care about these tragic events. They may focus solely on working harder or urging their children to finish their homework, thinking that as long as academic performance is good, everything else will fall into place. This kind of cold, detached mindset may mislead children to becoming self‑centered, in the belief that everyone should just mind their own business and problems encountered by others should be ignored.

If this attitude continues to develop, children may grow up to become selfish, unconcerned about social issues or global events, and disconnected from the world around them.

Some parents may also believe that such disasters are too cruel and complex for children to comprehend. In fact, these moments are precisely the best opportunities to educate young children about society, natural and human disasters, and the importance of caring for others.

However, young children often do not understand these natural or human disasters and may feel frightened. It is best for parents to hold their child close, watch together, and explain things slowly.

In addition, young children have limited attention spans. Once they have a basic understanding of what a disaster is, the suffering of those who were injured, and the importance of comforting others, they should be allowed to return to their usual activities and play.

Children have vivid imaginations, the intense images and stories they absorb—and the strong emotions behind them—may not always be fully expressed. Parents should allow children to turn the story into role-play, or use creative drawings, storytelling, toys, or other playful methods to express their feelings and thoughts. This helps prevent nightmares—the unprocessed fear during sleep.

Some children may also have experienced severe fright or trauma in the past. In such cases, parents need to pay extra attention to the child’s emotions and behaviour. They should gently guide the child to release hidden feelings through play and help them understand the difference between past experiences and the current event. If necessary, parents can hold their child to sleep at night to provide them with a sense of safety.

The most important task, ultimately, is to see this incident as an opportunity to cultivate a sense of social concern in young children —a willingness and awareness to care for and comfort others.

Therefore, parents should actively involve their children in related relief efforts, such as fundraising or volunteering to care for those affected by the disaster. Through these activities, parents can guide their children to:

• Experience the satisfaction that comes from helping others
• Share the pain and suffering of disaster victims in empathy
• Understand the importance of social unity and mutual support

These experiences help children develop healthy values on life, morality and ethics, as well as a positive self‑image. In terms of a child’s growth and future development, these qualities are far more important than achievements in knowledge and skills.

Prof. Yip Kam Shing, Saint Francis University