TALKING TO YOUR CHILD ABOUT A CRISIS IN THE NEWS

The American School Counselor Association suggests:

• Try and keep routines as normal as possible. Kids gain security from the predictability of routine, including attending school.
• Limit exposure to television and the news.

• Be honest with kids and share with them as much information as they are developmentally able to handle.
• Listen to kids’ fears and concerns.
• Reassure kids that the world is a good place to be, but that there are people who do bad things.
• Families and adults need to first deal with and assess their own responses to crisis and stress.
• Rebuild and reaffirm attachments and relationships.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Talking to Children About School Shootings

Helping Children with Tragic Events in the News

Ways to Help Your Child Through Crisis

Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting

Recovering Emotionally

Rowan County Mental Health