When terrible world events like terrorism occur, it’s inevitable that children will be exposed to the gruesome stories, due to our 24 hour news society. Often, despite our best efforts to protect them from it. Trying to figure out how to talk to children about these events can be difficult – how much is too much? Children’s Behavioural specialist and author of Words That Work: How to Get Kids to Do Almost Anything, Alicia Eaton, has 10 Practical Tips on How to Talk to Kids About Terrorism that will help alleviate your child’s anxiety.

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Anxiety levels amongst children are rising and ironically, it’s one of the biggest worries for parents today. Left unchecked, children can grow ‘into’ their fears, rather than grow out of them with harsh and long-term consequences.

It can set back their emotional growth and hamper performance in every area of their lives. Anxiety will stop your child from making friends, taking part in social activities, sitting exams successfully and fulfilling their potential.

10 Practical Tips On How to Talk to Kids About Terrorism

Fear is a natural and essential human emotion: after all, being programmed with the ability to have feelings of fear is what saved our ancestors from being eaten by sabre-toothed tigers. But there aren’t too many sabre-toothed tigers for us to deal with nowadays and most of the things that we worry about never happen.

We can end up feeling stressed for no particular reason. But, feelings of fear and anxiety are just that: feelings. And the good thing about feelings is that they can be changed.

#1. “Will This Happen to Me?”

This is the first thought that will be running through your child’s mind. They’ll be wondering how this will impact on their own safety.

Having seen incidents on the TV, your child will start wondering whether this is going to start happening in the street right outside their home. This will be especially true if your child has seen other children in danger for they’ll be able to relate to them more.

Reassure your child that this is happening ‘far, far away’. Distance can be hard for children to imagine, so get a map or globe and point out that it’s nowhere near their home or school.

#2. Avoid Negative Language

Avoid using negative phrases when talking to your kids such as:

• Don’t worry.
• Just stop thinking about it.
• Don’t keep going on about it or you’ll make it worse.
• Stop talking about it because you’re starting to scare your little brother! (Say this and don’t be surprised if ‘little brother’ starts crying.)

Our minds make pictures or images out of the words that we think or hear. Using a negative word will mean your child will end up doing exactly what you don’t want them to do – worry!

#3. Spend More Time with Them

Spend extra time sitting with your child especially at bedtime and listen carefully to their concerns.

Every child is different and depending on their age and temperament will have a different perspective on the news stories.

It’s possible to worry your child even more by giving too much information in your conversations, so try to learn what ‘specifically’ it is that is worrying your child. It may not be as bad as you think and a simple answer may be all that’s required.

#4. Reassure Your Child

Reassure your child that we’re safe.

Tell your child that when horrible things happen, there are lots of people who are looking after us and will keep us safe – e.g. Government, Police, teachers, Mums and Dads. They’ll make sure that this doesn’t happen to us, and they will also find the bad people and put them into prison.

Always use words that reflect this desired state, such as:

• We can relax now, because there are plenty of people taking care of this for us.
• It’s OK, we’re all safe.
• We can stay calm about this, because it’s happening far, far away.
• The situation is over now – it’s finished.

#5. Empathise

It’s important to use empathy when talking to your children. It makes them feel that you share their feelings, which is helpful.

Use phrases such as: “I can see that you’re feeling worried / scared / anxious and that’s understandable. It’s a horrible thing that has happened”.

#6. False Alarm Analogy

Use the analogy of a false alarm to explain anxiety simply to kids.

Liken your child’s feelings of anxiety to a smoke alarm going off when it’s got a bit too smoky in the kitchen from the cooking. The smoke alarm can’t tell the difference between a bit of smoke and a real fire – so it’s a ‘false alarm’.

And sometimes when our bodies feel a bit panicky and anxious, the same kind of thing is happening. Our bodies make a bit of a ‘mistake’ and worry us for no reason – there is no real danger.

#7. Blow Out

Anxiety can lead to a shortness of breath. This leads to a pale complexion, sweaty hands and face, tightness in the chest and even giddiness or fainting.

“Take a nice deep breath” is a traditional response and a phrase we’re all familiar with, but taking a nice, deep breath inwards is precisely what an anxious person doesn’t need to do.

Anxious feelings can be caused by having too much ‘breath’ trapped in the lungs, which gives that sensation of not being able to breathe. Your child will feel better if you ask them to ‘blow out’ instead – the air will be expelled out of their lungs and they will automatically relax and get back into an easy rhythm of breathing.

Toys/Tools that will help:

• A hand-held windmill toy with sails that needing blowing
• Container of bubble mixture to blow through a wand
• Blowing up balloons
• Blowing bubbles through a straw
• Ask your child to scrunch up their hand and simply imagine that they’re blowing up a balloon or bag. Long, slow breaths is what’s required and this technique, in particular, is useful in an emergency if a panic attack strikes.

#8. Laugh

Laughter is another way of changing the brain’s chemistry quickly.

Watch more comedy and funny movies on TV together, and introduce a ‘good news’ only rule in conversations around the dinner table. Too often it’s easy to fall into the trap of sharing bad news: ‘I missed the bus this morning / got caught in the rain / got pushed over in the playground’. And if you’re short of conversation, keep a joke book to hand and get the kids to read jokes out to the family over dinner.

It’s time to switch off the TV and start playing more family games such as Monopoly or Twister. Also soothing will be gentle activities such as colouring books that are now enjoying a resurgence in popularity amongst many adults.

This is the time to avoid playing competitive computer games, no matter how much fun they may be, for they’ll be adding to the stress chemical overload in the body if they’re not properly burnt off.

#9. Get Outside & Exercise

Watching and hearing bad news stories will increase the production of adrenaline and cortisol in the body. Ensure your child has plenty of outlets for burning these stress chemicals off.

Increase the amount of exercise they take right now, preferably in the open air, otherwise their stress levels will simply keep on elevating.

#10. Food Triggers

Be aware that certain foods will alter your child’s stress and anxiety levels as well as create mood swings.

Now is the time to avoid the stimulating effects of sugar and caffeine in fizzy and energy drinks that will cause fluctuations in blood sugar levels. This includes natural sugars found in fruit juices and smoothies.

It may be tempting to make the world seem ‘a happy place’ by introducing more chocolate, sweets and cake, but you’ll be adding to your child’s ‘wobbly’ feelings right now.

Instead, introduce more protein into the diet to help steady your child’s nerves and make them feel more grounded.

Eat plenty of these good foods:

• • Wholegrain breads rather than white
  • Fish
  • Turkey
  • Chicken
  • Cottage cheese
  • Pulses and fruit and vegetables
  • If your child can eat nuts safely, they are handy for snacks in between meals.

About Alicia Eaton

Alicia Eaton, Children’s Behavioural Specialist, is a fully qualified Psychotherapist, Clinical Hypnotherapist and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner based in London’s Harley Street, helping both adults and children change habits and behaviours for the better.

Her recently published book Words That Work: How to Get Kids to Do Almost Anything is available priced £12.99. For more information see www.success-4-kids.com.

Originally a Montessori Teacher who ran her own School, she’s also the best-selling author of “Fix Your Life with NLP” (Simon & Schuster) and “Stop Bedwetting in 7 Days” which is recommended by NHS paediatricians.

Over to you! Do you have any tips for talking to your children about scary news stories? Share them in the comments below.