In wake of Monday’s bombings at the Boston Marathon, many US parents are wondering what to tell their children. USA Today (4/17, Weise) reports that turning off the television set is “the most important advice for parents from child mental health experts.” The piece adds, “‘Young children especially don’t realize that the images that get shown again and again on TV are of the same event,’ says Robert Hilt, a child psychiatrist at Seattle Children’s Hospital.” In other words, “parents should control the images and messages their children receive.”
HealthDay (4/17, Esposito) reports, “By now, children have already seen and heard a lot about the Boston tragedy, noted Dr. Rachel Yehuda, a psychiatrist and post-traumatic stress disorder expert at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.” Dr. Yehuda said, “The parent’s job is to make the child feel very safe and encourage the child to ask any questions that they have.” Nevertheless, “Yehuda said, parents should ‘resist completely minimizing the anxiety, because we do live in a world where it is important to prepare ourselves and our children for adversity.'”
Related Links:
— “How to talk to kids about the Boston bombing, “Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, April 17, 2013.