How to talk to children about terrorism

Fear and confusion are a natural response to terrorism and Jen Hogan hears what we as parents can do to help our children process feelings and cope in the aftermath

AS parents, our natural instinct is often to shelter our children from the harsh realities of the world in which they live. Yet again this weekend, horrific news stories and images have emerged from our nearest neighbours, as London found itself, once again, the target of another terrorist attack.

We live in media saturated times and don’t always have control over the things that our children hear and see, or how and when they hear and see them. The world is a changing and sometimes scary place and the sense of helplessness that we as adults feel, can be magnified for a child.