With the recent school shooting in Uvalde, your child might be feeling anxious about their safety at school. Below are some helpful tips to start a conversation with them.
1. Ask them how they are feeling - Children may have different feelings than the adults in their lives and their perception may also be different. Asking them about their questions and feelings will help determine how much information they need.
2. Be truthful – In order to build trust kids, need to age appropriate, honest information. Understanding what they need, then giving them truthful responses will help them process the risks.
3. Be patient – Each child may need a differing amount of information at different times. Some children need to hear things several times while others may only be able to handle the information in small amounts.
4. Keep up normal routines – the predictability of a routine helps kids feel more secure.
5. Limit exposure to media – Children are not equipped for repeated exposure to traumatic events. If you notice yourself or your child feeling increasingly anxious, assess how much exposure to traumatic news you are being exposed to and disconnect.
6. Seek help - If your child continues to struggle it might be a good time to find a counselor in your area to help them learn effective strategies to deal with anxiety and fear.
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