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Health & Fitness

Raising Children Amid Violent Acts

What do we tell them and how can we help them feel safe?

Images of the tragic bomb blasts at the finish line of the Boston Marathon fill our television screens.  It feels like we are constantly barraged with frightening incidents.  In less than one year, we mourned the death of so many children in Connecticut, moviegoers in Colorado and now we pray for the innocent runners & spectators in Massachusetts.  Every time we are faced with the violence in our society, parents are faced with decisions. Should we speak to our children about the incident or try to shield them?  How do we make them feel safe in an increasingly chaotic world?

Discussions about news that jolts us should start at home. We are kidding ourselves if we think we can send our children to school and not have them hear about it. While school districts may or may not open the discussion, they cannot guarantee that other children won’t mention it. We are our children’s safe place.  It is far more frightening for them to hear scary and confusing news from others.  At an age appropriate level, we can tell our children that a very sad thing has happened. They can see that we are upset. We set a good example when we tell them that it is sad and we hope for the best for the people involved. They will also see that we are well. We are here with them doing everything we can to keep them safe.

It is important to point out to children that in every story, no matter how upsetting or tragic, we can look for the good and uplifting.  The good Samaritans who run toward the injured and the first responders who risk their lives every day should be their heroes.  They are the people that our children should admire.  We can teach our children to pray for the injured and be grateful for the brave.

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We are the keepers of truth for our children.  The truth is that bad things happen and we can talk about them.  The truth is that life is a constant intermingling of happiness and sadness, tragedy and courage.  We suffer and then we pick ourselves up and heal.

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Read more articles and learn about workshops for parents and early childhood professionals at www.helpingkidsachieve.com.                                                                

For information about The Early Learning Center of Temple Shalom or Temple Shalom Religious School, contact Cindy Terebush at eddirector@templeshalomnj.org or call 732-566-2961.

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