When talking to children about tragic events, understanding individual temperament can be a great help. In my earlier 9/11 post, I focused mainly on two important aspects for the parent:
- the fundamental need for some measure of self-possession and calm amidst outer events
- a level of honesty and clarity in speaking to the child about the events that is not the norm in our culture
Especially related to that second point — honesty and clarity for the child — I want to dive a bit deeper and look at the importance of knowing your individual child, and letting that understanding guide you with more specificity and nuance when navigating the delicate territory of tragedy with them. {Read the rest of this post at mothering.com}
Image by:
obbino (Flickr / Creative Commons)
Tags: talking to children, temperaments, tragic events, trauma
