Hug your kids, say you love them – and don’t over-talk the Connecticut shootings

The Globe and Mail:

As U.S. President Barack Obama said in his statement to the press on Friday, every parent in the United States (and every parent in Canada who is shaken by the mass shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut) will hug their children a little tighter and tell them that they love them, and remind “each other how deeply we love one another.”

But even though parents may be stunned by what is being called one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history, experts warn them against passing on their fears to their children.

According to ABC News, Yale University child psychology professor Alan Kazdin noted that children will likely hear about the tragedy, and they may have questions. Parents should answer those questions at an age-appropriate level, without being evasive, he advised, but he noted they shouldn’t dwell on the tragic nature of the incident, nor should they “over-talk” the issue. “Don’t lie, don’t withhold.”

Read the whole story: The Globe and Mail