Saturday, December 15, 2012

Free Sparkle story and links to help heal after tragedy *


SparkleStories.com has posted a free story to help parents and children cope today, after unfathomable tragedy in Newtown, Conn. The story is advertising-free and copyright-free.

"We wanted a story that addresses loss and tragedy, but that leaves children with a sense that the adults in their world love them, and are keeping them safe, and are doing everything they can to ensure that it never happens again."

You may read their explainer and listen at this link to decide whether the story is right to share with your children, or just listen yourself.

This is a free story about a young girl named Lee, who loves her little black dog Prince.  But one day, Prince is suddenly killed by a speeding car.  The girl not only has to come to grips with the abrupt loss of her dog, but she also manages questions like “Who was it?  Why didn’t they stop? How could they do it?” And the ultimate message from her loving parents is this:  "We love you.  It is OK to be sad.  We are holding you.  And we will do everything we can to prevent this from happening again."

Attachment Parenting International sent out an email blast with links to help parents. "What do I say to my children?" Here are some of the articles they recommend:

Helping Children with Scary News, PBS Parents


Helping Children Heal, Attachment Parenting International (lots of tips for families with very young children)

How to Talk with Kids about Tragedy, Aha! Parenting

Talking with Children about Upsetting News Events, Massachusetts General Hospital

Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting, American Psychological Association

*This article was updated to include article sourcing and fix text viewing issues.

1 comment:

  1. The thoughtful Fred Rogers, on how to address tragedy with children. His voice is so calm.

    http://www.fci.org/new-site/par-tragic-events.html

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