After Charlottesville, how do you talk to your kids about tragedy?

By Kevin Nix, Senior Director of Communications

Yesterday, Roma Bhatt, director of therapy services at Legacy, appeared on KHOU channel 11 to discuss how parents talk to their kids about tragic events in the news.

What you tell your kids depends on their age, but generally here’s what she had to say.

“The first thing we want to do is talk about it [the tragic event], she said. “Being silent only makes children feel that it’s too scary to even talk about. We want to find out what they know and what their understanding is.”

She recommends asking your child the following questions: “What can you do differently? How can you express yourself in a way that’s not hateful and not violent and not racist?”

“Be mindful not to overexpose our children to psychological trauma and cause more anxiety,” she advised parents.

She went on to remind us to tell our kids “they’re loved and that they’re cared for.”