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Ashley Hayes ReportingStudents watching news of yesterday's school shooting and two others recently could easily feel unsafe attending their own schools.
How do you talk to your kids about it without scaring them even more?
Our mental health specialist, Tammer Attallah, says begin by asking kids questions about their school's safety practices.
Tammer Attallah/LCSW Valley Mental Health: "Asking them, 'What's the school plan? What happens when there's a school emergency?'"
If your child doesn't know, have them ask their teachers and administrators until they feel confident in what they've learned.
Attallah says prevention is the most important part of all this. He says kids will feel better if they know plans are in place to keep them safe.
He also says practicing those plans will save lives in a situation where a real emergency takes place.
Tammer Attallah/LCSW Valley Mental Health: "Kids that practice earthquake and fire drills are more likely when there is a real emergency to do that with the least amount of panic and anxiety possible."
Attallah says it's normal for students to have nightmares and act irritable from watching these stories.
If it persists, though, you may have a problem and your child may need to see a counselor.
