With plenty of scary things happening around the world all the time, sometimes parents are left fielding questions that may be hard to answer.
9&10’s Taylor Jones checked in with school counselors and parents on how to best handle horrific events appropriately through a child’s eyes.
With kids having access to social media, it’s easy for them to scroll through their Facebook feed and see things happening around the world.
Seeing videos leads kids to questions, but how do adults answer them?
“I think one of the most important things is just to find out what it is they already know. I think there is so much wrong information that they get, whether it’s through social media or kids just talking at school,” says Andi Bearss, Roscommon Middle School counselor.
Roscommon Middle School counselor Andi Bearss, says let your child come to you with questions, but make sure you are ready to answer them in a simple manner.
“You only want to give them enough information that is going to satisfy them. At this age, as far as the gory details, the horrific details of what’s going on, I really shy away from that. So just as much information that will appease them and just as accurate is what I try to give them and the advice I give parents,” says Bearss.
Parents today are using these skills to explain to their kid’s events happening in Syria.
“A few days ago, my son walked by the TV and happened to see what was going on in the area and before I had a chance to change the channel. I did want my children to know and I did explain in terms I thought he could understand, there are good and bad people in the world and bad leaders. The misfortune that this man thought it was okay and hurt some of his own people, it’s just putting it into the simplist terms for them to comprehend,” says Sandra Gray, parent.
Counselors and parents both say it’s important to always keep the conversation open with your kids.
Parents should make sure their little ones know everything is going to be okay.
“You don’t want to scare them and you want to reassure them because this is scary and it scary for everybody, but to reassure them that the reason we are seeing this so much on the news, the reason this is getting so much coverage, is because these things aren’t happening all the time,” says Bearss.
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