- Dr. Joel Warsh is a pediatrician based in Studio City.
- He’s also dad to two boys, a 5-year-old and 10-month-old.
- His family had to evacuate their house early Wednesday morning.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dr. Joel Warsh, a pediatrician with Integrative Pediatrics and Medicine in Los Angeles. It has been edited for length and clarity.
On Tuesday night, my wife and I put our sons to bed and then went to bed early ourselves, around 8 p.m. We knew we weren’t likely to get a lot of sleep. Outside the back of our home, we could see the Palisades fire getting closer and closer.
It definitely wasn’t the best sleep, but I managed to get some shut-eye. Then, at about 4:30 Wednesday morning, we got an alert that we needed to evacuate.
Our bags were already packed when we got the alert
We had already packed essentials like clothing, a few of the boys’ favorite toys, and my wife’s breast pump, plus our important documents like birth certificates. We grabbed the bags and our sons, who are 10 months and 5 years old, and drove to my in-laws’ house in Studio City, near where I practice pediatrics.
My older son was excited to have a day with his grandparents. We talked with him a bit about the fires and he could see the smoke, but he didn’t really understand what was going on.
By Friday the evacuation order for our home was lifted, but the fire still wasn’t contained. I briefly returned home and saw that we only had slight wind damage. Inside, however, the air was hazy, like it gets when you’re cooking something and burn it.
Even at my in-laws’ house, the air quality wasn’t great, so my family decided to head south toward San Diego for the weekend. We spent about $1,000 renting an Airbnb that could fit the extended family for two nights. Prices were actually cheaper than I thought they’d be, probably because people canceled trips to California.
I’m more worried about the emotional impact on kids than the physical
Earlier this week, I sent an email to all my patients. I reminded them to take their kids to the hospital if they have any acute trouble breathing. But if anything, I’m more worried about the mental and emotional impact of these fires on kids than the physical impact.
It’s best if parents can help kids keep their routine as much as possible. We know from other disasters that when kids feel supported and know their parents are there for them, they fare better.
We’ll do what we can to help and will remind our son he’s safe
With my own son, I’m focusing on the helpers. Next week, we’ll donate toys and other items to families who lost everything. Those families have much more acute stress to cope with than we do. How much to share about what’s happening with children depends on the family and the individual child. While parents shouldn’t hide things from kids, you don’t want to tell them too much that it’ll cause them stress, either.
Remind kids that they and their loved ones are safe. The rest you can figure out along the way, even if it needs to be done day by day. Helping children feel calm and supported rather than worried will help their long-term mental health.
