The tragedy in Connecticut
left families across the country searching for answers. Experts say it's best
to talk with your children about incidents like this right after.
"It's important to bring this up," says Sylvia Mikucki-Enyart. "Sometimes
parents think, well if I don't talk about it that maybe it will go away, or they
won't be scared. But they are going to hear this information, whether
it is on the playground, on Facebook, or looking on the Internet. So it's
important that parents start an open dialog."
Sylvia Mikucki-Enyart is an assistant professor at
UW-Stevens Point. She specializes in inter-personal relationships. Mikucki-Enyart
says how much you should tell your children depends on their age.
"A 5-year-old really might not be able to grasp what it
is that even happened. So saying something like a bad man or a bad person went
into school, and they hurt some children and teachers. That might be
enough."
Mikucki-Enyart says it's
important to listen to their concerns and let them guide the conversation. She
says parents should also be careful what their children watch on TV.
"A lot of times when children see repeated stories, or
repeated footage of an event like this they think it's a new event."
An important conversation aimed to help your family get back
to its regular routine.
