Talking to your kids about the Newtown Tragedy

Our nation was rocked by the horrific school shooting in Newtown, Ct. Last Week. 26 people died, 20 of them young children. As a parent of a first grader, this hits particularly close to home for me, but it is still hard to imagine the depth of the grief those Sandy Hook Elementary parents must be feeling now. I had a client who lost a child describe his grief as a tsunami that would drag him so far down he could hardly breathe. The ache in his heart was palpable when he spoke. His body seemed to shrink from the weight of his pain. So, my heart truly goes out to all of those who are suffering and grieving as a result of this terrible tragedy.

For those of us with children, we are now faced with the important task of helping our kids try to make sense of such senseless violence. I know at the Houston school where my kids attend, there is talk in the carpool line, and e-mails going out about how to talk to your kids about this tragedy. I found this post from Marie Hartwell-Walker helpful, so I am reposting it here.

If you need help dealing with tragedy, grief, or even parenting stress, we have counselors who can meet with you. Contact our Houston counselors to find out how we can help.

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