Talking to kids about tragedy
Talking to children about tragedy is a job most parents would love to avoid. If only our children did not need to hear about things like this week’s devastating earthquake in Haiti. But of course, they do hear. And they are full of questions: Could this happen to me? What’s going to happen to the children? Can I do anything to help the children I see on TV?
World Vision US, a Christian humanitarian relief organization with hundreds of staff on the ground in Haiti, suggests eight ways to make a tough job a little bit easier.
1. Start by listening.
Find out what your kids already know. You can then respond in an age-appropriate way. The aim is not to worry them with the devastating details, but to protect them from misinformation they may have heard from friends or disturbing images they may have seen on television.
2. Provide clear, simple answers.
Limit your answer to the question asked and use simple language.
3. If you don’t know the answer, admit it
If your child asks a question that you can’t answer, tell them so, and then do some research to try and help them sort it out. If they ask “Why did this have to happen?” don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.” If you are part of a faith community, the reassurance offered there can be invaluable in helping your child sort through the awful truth that awful things happen.
4. Follow media reports or online updates privately.
Young children in particular are easily traumatized, and seeing or hearing about the horrifying details of the quake are more than they can cope with. Adults, too, should ensure they are dealing with their own emotions by talking to others, so they can continue to respond well to their children’s need.
5. Concentrate on making them feel safe.
When tragedies occur, children wonder if the same event could happen in their hometown. If it was an act of nature that could not be repeated in your area, tell children that. Placing themselves in the situations of victims is not all bad—it is a sign of empathy, an essential life skill, but watch for signs of excessive worrying.
6. Give children creative outlets. Some children may not be prepared to speak about what they have heard, but may find drawing or other creative activities helpful to deal with their emotions and stress. Their drawings can be helpful starting points for conversation.
7. Model involvement and compassion.
Tell your child that, as a family, you will be helping the people in Haiti by giving a donation to a reputable charity such as World Vision.
8. Give your child a chance to be involved.
Being involved in the solution will help relieve some of their anxiety. Invite them to contribute to the family’s gift by giving something out of their piggy bank.
This article was presented to me by World Vision. No compensation was received, I’m posting it because I feel that it is important to know how to talk to your children about tragedy and things that happen in the world that make us all feel sad.
For more information on World Vision’s efforts please visit www.worldvision.org/press. Please let us know if you have any questions.
Ingredients
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Formula is a touchy subject for me. I breasted one of my children for an entire year and quit because I was so pregnant with my second child I could no longer keep enough nutrition in my own body. When my son was born I was unable to produce enough milk to feed him so I was forced to give him formula. I had no idea what was what and even after a few months he had to be on specialized formula. We were given samples from the doctor’s office and only considered those as options and both of them were name brands. So I assumed not all formulas are created equally. And I was quite upset at spending so much money on formula.
The movie began with talk of “personal time” in Anna’s (Jennifer Garner) apartment. I was thinking that the entire movie was going to be dirty but it cleaned up and was just funny. Mark (Ricky Garvais) discovered that he could lie. He even tried to teach his friends but they never caught on to the fact that he was lying. They believed it every time he told them his name was something different. Mark is quite a decent guy, because he told a woman that the world was going to end if they didn’t sleep together and then he realized how wrong it was to take advantage of her so he pretended that NASA called him to say it was cancelled. 
brought tears, I was brought tons of tears with this movie. Clive Owen is a halfway father to one child and a dead beat dad to the other. Then his wife dies and he is solely responsible for one of his children. He doesn’t know how to be a father and grandma wants to take care of the kid. He refuses to let his mother-in-law raise his child so he takes off on an adventure to find himself. He finally has to go back to work and is trying to get a handle on things. He’s in the middle of failing miserably and his ex-wife decides to send his other son to him to live. He wants to say no, but also wants to get to know his other son. So now he’s a father of two, a teenager and an Elementary kid, all on his own. The worst part of all of it is that his job requires him to travel.
