Talking to children about tragedies in the news

The news these days is overwhelming in its awfulness. There have been horrible hurricanes, the earthquake in Mexico — and the incomprehensible shootings in Las Vegas. It’s been so awful, and so unrelenting, that it is hard to even process it. Imagine processing it as a child? Our first instinct is usually to shelter our children from the news and not say anything about it to them at all. That’s completely understandable, and if your child is very young or you are certain for some other reason that they aren’t going to hear about it, then not saying anything is a viable option. But if they aren’t very young, or if you ever have the news on where they can see, or if they are ever in settings where people might have the news on or talk about it, it might not be so viable. If children are going to hear about something, they really should hear about it from you. Also, as parents it’s important that we give our children the perspective and skills they need to navigate this scary world where, let’s be honest, bad things happen. The way you talk to children about tragedies in the news can help them cope not just now, but in the future. The American Academy of Pediatrics has all sorts of resources to help parents talk with children about tragedies. Here are four simple things all parents can and should do: 1.  Tell them what happened, in simple terms. Be honest, but skip the gory details. Answer their questions just as simply and honestly. If you think — or know — t...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Children's Health Parenting Source Type: blogs