Talking to children about tragedy

After 9/11, my son, then 2, started building twin towers of lego and then knocking them down.  I had not told him anything, but somehow he picked up on something.  Children can tell when their parents are upset or afraid, and sometimes they know more than we think they do.  But what they know, and how they understand it, may be very different from what we would expect.  Be alert to signs they may have some fears they cannot quite express, and create openings for them to talk.

Avoid watching the news when they are in the room; young children pick up on much more than we realize.