Talking To Your Kids About The CT School Shooting

Category: Achieve Published on Monday, 17 December 2012 10:50 Written by Marie Osborne, WWJ

DETROIT (WWJ) - In the wake of a deadly mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school, parents around the country are wondering what to tell their children in the aftermath.

Speaking live Friday on WWJ Newsradio 950, DMC psychiatrist Dr. Gerald Shiner said you will want to remain calm and not overwhelm them.

“The first thing we’re going to have to remember is that kids can be very resilient and then can recover from these kinds of experiences,” Shiner said. “So, when our children come home and they hear about it, we have to reassure them that they’re OK, that this didn’t happen here, that this doesn’t happen often, that this is rare and that it doesn’t mean that they’re at any risk.”

Shiner said you’ll really want to watch your kids closely because they can undergo a series of mood-swings in the aftermath.”For the first few days kids might be more clingy, they might be a little bit more grouchy, they might be a little bit more rowdy or they might be withdrawn — so we have to make sure that we pay attention to them as well,” Shiner said.

Read more:http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/12/14/talking-to-your-kids-about-the-connecticut-school-shooting/