How To Talk To Kids About The US Capitol Chaos: 'Honesty Is Really, Really Important'
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — It's safe to say many all struggling to make sense of the horrible images out of Washington D.C. of a mob violently storming our nation's capitol.
These are all heavy images for adults to process, but how do you explain these actions to kids?
"I saw people climbing up the outside, I saw someone with a very bloody face," said 11-year-old James Bird.
The 11-year-old said he is trying to make sense of the images he saw by talking to his parents and classmates.
"It's interesting on how far people will go," he said.
Renee Bond, a clinical counselor who specializes in Child and Teen Therapy, explains parents should not shy away from talking with their kids.
"I think honesty is really, really important but age-appropriate honesty. We don't want to give too much scary information but enough to where they can process it," she said.
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Bond explained with her children she is focusing on calming potential anxiety by looking for ways to help her kids process.
"We kind of talked about like being a sore loser and that was like a kid-friendly way of looking at it," she said.
She says it's important to allow your kids to express how they are feeling and find ways to release tension.
From grade school to high school, Bond explains in each conversation focusing on the lesson will help kids make sense of the disturbing images and spark deeper discussions.
"I think it's really important that we talk to them and use this as a teachable moment and plant seeds of justice, integrity, and help them grow from it," she said.
Bond says it's important to give your kids factual information, instead of letting them rely on what they see online. She explains it's important to continue talking and checking in with your kids to keep the conversation going.
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