Mister Rogers was a wise man. Not only did I grow up wanting to be his neighbor and travel by trolley to the Neighborhood of Make Believe, but now as an adult and a parent of 3 small children, I find that many of his quotes in regards to children hold such unmistakable truths. And in times like these, his famous quote above really resonates with me not only as a mother, but also as a pediatrician.
The horrific hate crime that unfolded in Orlando in the early morning hours yesterday has every American grieving for the senseless loss of life. As parents, we are once again left to struggle with our emotions of not only how to deal with the tragedy for ourselves, but also how to explain the unexplainable to our children. Unfortunately, this is not the first time in recent months, and perhaps even more regrettably that it will not likely be the last, that parents will be faced with the difficult task of discussing shocking and deadly events with our children. Below you will find my interview from November 2015 after the terrorist attacks in Paris where Brittany Weiss of WBRZ news and I discuss age appropriate ways to broach these difficult topics that no parent ever wants to have to bring up with their children.
For additional tips and information about ways to talk to your children about tragedy, click here.
