‘This is not something they can comprehend,’ says Dr. Ken Haller a SLUCare Pediatrician at Cardinal Glennon Medical Center. ‘That’s why it’s really a good idea to keep them away from these images as much as possible.’
Haller is referring to children five years of age and younger.
While he’s the expert when it comes to children, you’re the expert when it comes to your own.
‘It really is important to know where your kid is coming from and what their concerns are,’ says Haller.’ ‘Then as a parent you can reflect back on it and how awful you feel and that it is kind of scary.’
Dr. Haller recommends turning off the images from Boston and playing a game, baking some cookies or reading a book with your child.
‘But it’s also okay to reassure kids that something like this is extremely rare,’ says Haller. ‘It just doesn’t happen very much. And that’s why it is news, because it is so unusual and that’s why we pay attention to it.’
Dr. Haller says small children can be affected emotionally by yesterday’s bombing in Boston.
This is why he recommends letting your kids know that you as a parent or someone will be there if tragedy strikes.
‘This is an opportunity to maybe come up with a family plan?’ asks Patrick Clark.
‘Exactly,’ says Haller. ‘At times like this you want to discuss with your kids, ‘Where would we go?’ This can be a time to talk about something that is unrelated that is still important. If there’s a fire in the house where are our escape plans and where do we meet?’
Dr. Haller says discussing contingency plans gives children a little more power in their world and beyond.