How can we make our children feel safe in our complex world?
It has been a summer of natural disasters -- from wildfires in Texas to huge areas of floods here in the Northeast that began with Tropical Storm/Hurricane Irene and continued into this week, with unrelenting rain that overflowed already swollen rivers and streams. This weekend is the tenth anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks and the morning headlines are filled with news of new threats to New York and elsewhere. When we adults are unsettled, how can we help our children feel safe?
There are no easy answers, but the website of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has some helpful suggestions. They have created a series of Facts for Families with guidelines for parents to use when talking to their children. One set of guidelines is designed for conversations about war and terrorism and another set is for parents who are helping their children deal with natural disasters. We hope these help you talk to your children about these difficult subjects. And we wish you a safe and peaceful weekend.
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