Japan: Talking with children after a disaster
The devastation from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan has filled television screens for weeks, presenting images that are difficult to watch, but hard to turn away from. As hard as it is for adults to comprehend the scale of destruction, should parents reach for the remote control when their children are in the room?
Not necessarily, says psychology professor and child-development expert Deborah L. Best (’70, MA ’72), who notes that it would be nearly impossible for parents to shield their children from the news. Children are likely to express fears about what they’ve seen — will a tsunami wash away my school? — so it’s important for parents to allay their fears, she said. Read more
Categories: Faculty News
