Dear P.A.W.S. Families,
Given the recent news events occurring in Washington, D.C., our preschoolers may have seen or heard things either on TV, on the radio or via adult conversations that they may not fully understand. Our P.A.W.S. school psychologist, Dr. Terry Weksel and I are sharing the following document that we created a few years ago P.A.W.S. Strategies for Talking and Listening to Young Children about News Events with the hope that the content is helpful to you.
Over the years, a dear former colleague from HRS, Dr. Rob Evans has shared these nuggets of wisdom when there have been difficult or traumatic news events:
- Don’t assume what the children know and are wondering about.
- Meet the children where they are.
- Let them be the guide on the starting points of conversations.
- It is okay not to know the answers.
- When discussing their questions stick with the facts.
If there is anything we can do to support you and your child, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s classroom teacher, to Terry, our school nurse, Zinta or me. We are here to help.
Be well,
‘Becca Z.
(Document Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A-17wJlXy6ls9l9z9gvfQJ0M7mryZV_4w8NUh9mSYAQ/edit?usp=sharing)