The recent school shootings raise many questions for children (and grown-ups, too). Who would do such a thing? Why? How can I be sure this won’t happen to me? Is anyone really safe?There are no easy answers about this kind of news, but it is important for parents to try to explain what has happened in order to help ease their fears and anxieties about their personal safety.“You want to encourage the kids to talk about what’s upsetting to them about the situation, to get some of the emotion off their chest,” said Dr. Alec L. Miller, a child psychologist with New York’s Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine.Psychiatrist Dr. Keith Ablow told NBC’s “Today” show on Tuesday that parents should not discourage children from discussing the events.“Believe me, kids are thinking already about it,” Ablow told “Today” anchor Meredith Vieira. “They need an adult to coax them to express their feelings and to tell them they are safe and that we’re going to do the things we need to protect you.”
