Like thousands of children, 13-year-old John Byrne saw his neighborhood wiped out by the storm. But he wants kids to remember something.
It brought out a lot of good in people," he said. "We don't like to focus on the bad. We want to focus on the good."
His story is one of several others featured in a new book, called "Sandy Can't Get Me Down," by Marie Severe Barret, a third-grade teacher at PS 111 in Long Island City, Queens.
The book features stories written by children from across the Tri-State Area and what they went through in the days and months following Sandy.
"You want to tell kids, okay you went through this, look at all these children and what they've been through," she said. "They're still here. They're still strong. They're coming back, and we're going to get through this"
Child psychologist Dr. Renee Clauselle says Barret has the right idea. If your child has some lingering anxiety when it comes to recalling Sandy, she says focus on all the good things that came out of the storm.
"We have actually had a lot of kids coming to the practice who have developed phobias," she said. "Phobias of wind, phobias of rain, things we never saw before...highlight the positive things. We came together as a community. We are resilient. These are the things we have. Bringing out the positive."
Dr. Clauselle says if your child has developed any severe paranoia related to storm, you should see a medical professional.
