When a tragedy happens, like the Boston Marathon explosions, we as parents try to shield our kids from these images but it is hard because kids these days are socially plugged in at all times. How do you explain that scary events do occur while still making your children feel safe? Here are some tips from Child Psychologist for Press4Kids’ News-O-Matic for how parents can address news issues with children and what children can do to feel better:
1. When the event does not personally affect the child, reassure them that everything is okay with the people they love and that nothing has changed for them.
2. Be sure to stress to children that if they do have questions to ask parents, teachers as well as friends. Other children having the same feelings may be comforting.
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”
3. Begin by giving the child a brief synopsis of what happened by using age appropriate language. Ask if there is something they want to know more about or if they need something explained further. If so, stick to pointedly answering their question or clarifying. Do not add on or digress.
4. Do not assume the news will make children feel a certain way. Ask if they know how they feel, but stress that kids feel all different ways when they hear important news and sometimes do not know how they feel or do not feel anything which is okay. However, if children are affected by it, it is their own feeling. Reassure children that no matter what they are feeling, their feelings are okay.
5. If they are upset but don’t want to talk, suggest a fun activity for distraction or help them use calming skills like playing, drawing a picture or writing a story. These activities help release any upset feelings and make children feel better.
Dr. Ohr is the Director of the Child and Parent Psychological Services Clinic at Hofstra and the Assistant Director of the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program.
Disclosure: I was provided with the information in this post by Child’s Play Communications. No compensation was received.