WASHINGTON — In the aftermath of last week’s deadly attacks in Paris, parents may be struggling with how to tackle the subject with their children.
Parenting blogger Leslie Morgan Steiner, of ModernMom.com, shared some tips in an interview with WTOP on how to reassure a concerned child.
“Assume that your kids have heard about this — the news is everywhere,” she says. “Remember that kids are kids, and they process information in very different ways than adults, and stuff that can be disturbing for us can truly be traumatic for kids.”
In some cases, it may be best to turn off the television or radio to avoid overly upsetting content. However, Steiner says it is important to tell children the truth about what’s happening — in simple terms that they can understand.
“You have to find that balance between not talking to them at all, and protecting them from too much — especially repeat graphic information,” she says.
Reassure kids that these attacks are actually rare. And simply checking in with your children, to listen to what they’ve heard, is a good way to get a feel for their concerns.
“It’s actually far worse if we maintain what experts call the ‘cycle of silence,’ where kids know something’s wrong, but the adults in their lives refuse to talk to them about it,” Steiner explains.
