Talking to Kids About the News
Whether it is a school shooting, natural disaster, such as an earthquake, tsunami or hurricane, or a terrorist bombing, special attention must be paid to our children to help them cope and understand what has happened.

A tragedy on the scale of the terrorist events in the United States, the war in Iraq, last year's tsunami, or Hurricane Katrina can be overwhelming for most adults, so how can a child deal with the fears, grief and overall feelings that such a tragedy evokes? Whether they lost a friend or family member, were evacuated from school, or just heard news coverage, many children have been touched by this tragedy and it is important to not allow them to become additional victims.

Viewing images of the tsunami tragedy in South Asia or Hurricane Katrina might be especially distressing for kids, as most of the news coverage has included video and photos of dead bodies, lost children, and separated families.

How your child deals with a tragic event depends a lot on his age and his overall temperament. A child who is already fearful and anxious will likely have a harder time than other children. Also, a child that has dealt with a recent loss, such as a death in the family, a divorce or other trauma will also likely have more problems.

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