Parents and teachers shouldn't fear talking about the death of the seven astronauts and the destruction of one of the nation's most recognizable symbols. Nor should parents necessarily prevent their children's access to live news reports of the disaster, counselors said.

Fred Roberts, a Port Huron psychologist who works with children and adults, suggests parents listen to their children's concerns before guessing at how the child may feel.

"Before expressing too many opinions to their children, it's a very good idea to hear what they have to say," he said.

Additionally, images of the burning shuttle shouldn't prove as scary to children as the Sept. 11 attacks, Roberts said.

That's because children can more easily see themselves inside the burning buildings while even young children know they aren't in a spacecraft. From the Port HuronTimes Herald. [full text]

Tips for parents:
• Maintain usual schedules.
• Monitor and limit exposure to television.
• Allow children to express their fears and anxieties.
• Convey that the event is tragic but appears to be an accident.
• Watch for any long-term reactions such as problems with sleeping or nightmares.
• Expect a delayed reaction from children who may have witnessed the disaster.
• Don’t become overly focused on the event. From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram [full text]

Children's Reaction to Trauma:
Suggestions for Parents from National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
Trauma can change the way children view their world. Assumptions about safety and security are now challenged. Children's reactions will depend upon the severity of the trauma, their personality, the way they cope with stress and the availability of support. It is common for children to regress both behaviorally and academically following a trauma. A good way to view the situation is that they are normal children in an abnormal circumstance. [full text]

Don't let children dwell on news coverage
From the Star-Telegram Staff Writer"You want to take care and not overwhelm the children. At the same time, you need to give honest answers to their questions." -- Dr. Pete Stavinoha, a child psychologist with Children's Medical Center of Dallas

Parents should discuss the shuttle disaster with their children but should not allow them to be bombarded with images of the exploding aircraft or spend hours watching news coverage of the event, mental health experts said Saturday.

Most school-age children will be aware of the breakup Saturday of the space shuttle Columbia over North Texas and will have questions about the tragedy, said Dr. Pete Stavinoha, a child psychologist with Children's Medical Center of Dallas.

"You want to take care and not overwhelm the children," Stavinoha said. "At the same time, you need to give honest answers to their questions." [full text]

Explaining tragedy to children requires sensitivity
As media coverage zeroes in on the details of the Columbia space shuttle tragedy, parents must be careful how they explain it to their children, experts say.
Depending on a child's age, reaction can range from oblivious to scared.

Parents "need to be very honest with their children and let them know that sometimes accidents happen," Dr. David Wheeler, director of Assessment and Care Management at Natchaug Hospital in the psychiatric unit at Mansfield Center, said. From the Norwich Bulletin[full text]

Parents should answer queries
But some children won't want to talk

The televised image of the Columbia space shuttle disintegrating across the blue sky played over and over Saturday, much like the endless collapse of the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001. Like that recent tragedy, parents once again had to balance their own intense interest in what happened with concerns about how their children would react to it.

The best thing parents can do is answer their children's questions -- if they have any -- as honestly as they can, one expert said.

Dr. Redford B. Williams, director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at Duke University, says it's not necessary to come up with some kind of script first.

"Don't assume you need to explain anything to them unless they ask," Williams said Saturday. "Just be yourself. The critical thing is to pay close attention to what they're saying, asking."

If they don't want to talk about it, that's OK, too, he said. From The News & Observer [full text]

Children asking 'why?'
Parents, educators face challenge explaining tragedy, easing fears
Questions will come children- chief among them: Why?

Experts say parents shouldn't duck such questions from kids. Children always are aware of accidents or tragedies.

"Kids hear it everywhere," Children's Museum Executive Director Marlene Brown said -- on TV, in school, from friends.

Children always want to know what's happened and why, and they want to hear it from the people they trust most -- their parents.

But children don't always know how to verbalize their questions or fears, which is why parents should pay special attention to their children after such tragedies, Brown said.

"Parents should observe body language and if the children are quiet and withdrawn," Brown said.

Forrester said, "Sometimes it's better to talk about it and try to understand it and pick it apart."

Many parents went through something similar just 17 months ago when the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks occurred. Brown recalls how her grandchildren reacted and how they wanted and needed to know what happened. One granddaughter lived with nightmares but wouldn't initially discuss those fears. From the Utica Observer-Dispatch [full text]