Communication is key in helping kids try to cope with school shootings

This week’s fatal shootings of children in a Minneapolis school’s church can be very difficult for adults to process, let alone kids. A mental health care professional is urging Iowa parents to talk with their children about these tragedies.

Sarah Long, a psychologist at Emplify Health by Gundersen , says to be careful not to offer too much information too soon, as that may only increase a child’s level of anxiety.

“Understanding the developmental level that your child is at really helps you to tailor the information that you’re giving them to their appropriate level,” Long says, “so they have a good understanding of the information that we’re sharing with them and not becoming overwhelmed by it.”

Sarah Long (Gundersen photo)

As parents discuss this incident, Long says there’s no “o