(Radio Iowa) – This past week’s fatal shootings (on Aug. 27th) of children in a Minneapolis school’s church can be very difficult for adults to process, let alone kids. A mental health care professional is urging Iowa parents to talk with their children about these tragedies.
Sarah Long, a psychologist at Emplify Health by Gundersen, says to be careful not to offer too much information too soon, as that may only increase a child’s level of anxiety. “Understanding the developmental level that your child is at really helps you to tailor the information that you’re giving them to their appropriate level,” Long says, “so they have a good understanding of the information that we’re sharing with them and not becoming overwhelmed by it.”
As parents discuss this incident, Long says there’s no “one size fits all” talk, as each member of the family will process the information in their own way.
“Even two same-age kids are going to have a different level of cognitive understanding, also a different level of emotional resilience,” Long says. “So really understanding your own child and what their strengths and areas for improvement are will help you to know what’s the level of information that my child can handle.”…