listen.

Your child is smart and logical and already has pieces of information. Ask what he thinks and if he has questions.

be honest

Honesty demonstrates advocacy. It gives your child a strong sense of safety. If you lie or obscure the truth your child will not feel as stable. Truth telling does not have to be explicit or graphic, but it provides security.

admit when you don’t have answers

It is ok to say you dont know something. Find out if you can…

Enlist your community

Don’t be afraid to talk to a counselor, doctor, or trusted friends.

Practice safety

Give your child a chance to practice safety and self-defense. Hopefully she will never need these skills, but she will feel safer and more secure if she knows how to handle emergencies.

keep talking

Big traumas stay with us. Make time to check in on your child over days, weeks and years. This will allow him to process all the complicated emotions that travel with grief and uncertainty.

We should never make our children face the scary stuff alone.

Alone is the scariest of all