The horror of the mass killings in Norway is hard enough for adults to handle, but how do you approach it with children and teenagers?
What do you say if they ask, “Why would someone do that? Could that happen to us?”
The horror of the mass killings in Norway is hard enough for adults to handle, but how do you approach it with children and teenagers?
What do you say if they ask, “Why would someone do that? Could that happen to us?”
I try to answer their questions as honestly, but as concisely, as possible. Children usually know exactly what's going on; whether or not they talk about it often depends on how open they percieve the adult to be. I hope we are past the time when we thought it helpful to shield children for the realities of life. They often intuitively understand a lot more than we give them credit for. But at the same time we need to be careful not to go beyond what they want/need to know. Giving too much information is often about serving our needs, not theirs.