Tips for parents on what to tell their children about mass shooting

MILWAUKEE -- A lot of parents may wonder what they're going to say and how they're going to talk with their kids about what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Aaron Heffernan is just as shocked as the rest of America about what happened at the Newtown, Connecticut elementary school on Friday morning, December 14th. Like many other parents, his attention quickly turns toward our own children in southeast Wisconsin.

"It'd be a good idea to keep an eye on things like a sudden disinterest in going to school, or school fear -- a sudden loss of interest in things they used to like to do," said Heffernan, a child and family therapist at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Community Services.

Heffernan suggests parents first limit the amount of media to which their kids are exposed.

"I would warn against too much media saturation for kids, during this time. That can be retraumatizing itself; to see images played, over and over," said Heffernan.

Adults may need to reassure children of the precautions educators take to keep kids safe in school. But Heffernan says they should also remind young people that school shootings remain the exception.

"School fear and anxiety, right now, is okay. It's a normal reaction to a very abnormal event, but a very uncommon event, still. We need to remember that's why these events get so much media attention," said Heffernan.

The fact that this shooting involves a son killing his mother adds another element to the discussion -- and one with which some caregivers may struggle.

If you would like some help in addressing the Connecticut shooting with children -- of any age -- you can call Project Ujima, which operates out of Children's Hospital. Their number is 414-292-4006.

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