Surviving a blackout with kids

Dealing with the aftermath of a severe weather event, such as superstorm Sandy, is hard enough. Add children to the equation and it's a heck of a lot harder.

You know you can get through it -- power outages, house or car damage, downed trees --  but it can be challenging when your kids don't understand what's going on and you're stuck in the house.

My husband and I have been trying to keep things together at home with our almost 20-month-old daughter, Maggie. She doesn't have a clue about what we just experienced but she is definitely noticing that things are different.

During the day, she's content playing with her abundance of toys. But at night, regardless of candles and flashlights, she knows something isn't right. Maggie's always been a good sleeper but the past two nights she's been afraid to go to bed.

So we've had to get creative. She typically goes to sleep with a projector that plays soothing music and displays a slideshow of sheep, the moon and stars on the ceiling. So last night, we played music on an iPhone to help her fall asleep. We also kept a battery-operated candle in her room all night, which helped.

Here are some things we've been doing that might also help you pass the time with your little ones:

What have you been doing with your kids in the house without power? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.