Today is a sad day, not only for families in Connecticut, but also for families with elementary-aged children everywhere. In case you are a parent looking for information on how to talk to your child(ren) about school shootings, I wanted to share some suggestions from the American Psychological Association. You can find the entire article here. Below I will copy and paste some suggestions. Please, please do not hesitate to contact me if you need suggestions or you are concerned about your son or daughter
Helping your children manage distress in the aftermath of a shooting or other traumatic event can be an intimidating task for adults. As a parent, you may be struggling with how to talk with your children about a shooting rampage. It is important to remember that children look to their parents to make them feel safe. This is true no matter what age your children are, be they toddlers, adolescents, or even young adults.
Consider the following tips for helping your children manage their distress.
Talk with your child. Talking to your children about their worries and concerns is the first step to help them feel safe and begin to cope with the events occurring around them. What you talk about and how you say it does depend on their age, but all children need to be able to know you are there listening to them.
Encourage children to talk about their concerns and to express their feelings, and validate the young person's feelings and concerns.
Limit television viewing. It can be difficult for children to process the images and messages in the news reports.
Empower young people to take action about their own school safety. Encourage them to share their concerns about school safety with school officials.
Recognize what may be behind a young person's behavior. They may minimize their concerns outwardly, but may be come argumentative, withdrawn or allow their school performance to decline.
Seek help when necessary. If you are worried about a young person's reaction or have ongoing concerns about his or her behavior or emotions, contact a mental health professional or your school counselor!
Below are a few websites that you may find helpful when talking to your child. Click on the logo for a link directly to the site.