The back-to-back mass shootings this weekend have left many of us struggling with horror and a sense of hopelessness. We add a Walmart in El Paso and a bar in Dayton to the list of places where shooters have found their victims: schools, offices, nightclubs, synagogues and more. It’s not surprising that children report being afraid there will be a shooting at their school.
We can’t protect our children from knowing about these tragic events, but we can help them cope in the healthiest possible way. To that end the Child Mind Institute offers resources for parents and educators with guidelines for talking to children of different ages about upsetting news.
As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, I know how important it is to help kids learn to handle fear and uncertainty. InHelping Children Cope After a Traumatic Event we suggest ways to comfort children and help them express their feelings. And we note the symptoms to look out for, as times goes by, that might indicate that a child is having trouble handling thoughts and fears generated by these shootings, and might need professional help.
Best wishes to you and your family,
Harold S. Koplewicz, MD
President and Medical Director
Child Mind Institute
Share this email:
Manage your preferences | Opt out using TrueRemove®
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
