Doctor gives tips on how to talk to your kids about shootings, disasters
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Many people woke up on Thursday trying to process the news of the mass shooting out of Maine.
Among the concerns is how you can approach this topic with children and teens.
Chief Medical Officer at WebMD, Dr. John Whyte, provided the Eyewitness News Mornings @ 10 team on how to navigate this issue. He provided some tips for parents and caregivers:
1) Manage your own emotions first before approaching the topic with your child.
2) For children under age 10, less is more than when it comes to details.
3) Try to understand what they have heard or saw so far before approaching the conversation.
4) Monitor your child's social posts, unfollow some of the news shows if they follow any on their devices for a little while.
5) Find a positive element, such as look for the heroes and people helping during a disaster.
6) Reassure them of their own safety.
7) Don't keep the news on in the background with young kids around.
8) Keep your day as normal as possible and keep to your regular schedule.
9) Keep children happy and engaged in their activities and at school.
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