Child psychologist weighs in on how to talk to kids about tragedy

The shooting at an elementary school in Texas has left families across the country in shock as they struggle to make sense of the tragedy. Many children are also asking their parents questions.
So, what's the best way to talk to them about what happened? A psychologist from the Cleveland Clinic Children's hospital weighed in.
"Really thinking about approaching those conversations, especially with elementary-aged and older kids, really approaching that conversation and saying like hey what do you know about what just happened, because that way you're meeting them where they're at," said Dr. Marilyn Sampilo. "You're not providing them with more information than what they already know."
She says if your child is under the age of seven there's really no need to have a conversation about what happened, unless they had some kind of direct involvement or have been exposed to information about it.
However, if your child is on the older side, then it would be okay to have a more in-depth discussion and see how they're feeling.
Dr. Sampilo says there's nothing wrong with being vulnerable in front of your kids, as long as you are also showing them healthy ways to cope.
Finally, she recommends limiting your child's exposure to the media.
"I want to be really sort of intentional about limiting exposure," said Sampillo. "So not just like limiting you know having them watch news coverage or TV, but even if you just have it on in the background and you think the kids are playing and think they're doing something, they are still likely taking in that information."
Dr. Sampilo also says it's important for parents to pay attention to any changes in their child's behavior due to what happened.