By JOSH AULT
6 News Reporter
KNOXVILLE (WATE) - As Friday's tragic events unfolded, many parents were forced to explain what happened to their children.
Many worry their children may develop problems by being exposed to it.
Many of the images from the shooting in Colorado are hard to erase from anyone's mind, but how will these images affect your child's mind?
Dr. Joshua Williams, a clinical psychologist, says it is important how the parent will act.
"Small children will resonate to the actions of the adults," Williams said. "If people are calm discussing the issues, children will be calm."
Williams says parents need to know how much news their children are being exposed to.
"We should always gage the age," he said. "If we find our child watching the news and this even comes on, it's a teaching moment. It's a time to sit down and process it with your child, not to ignore the event."
Williams says it is important to teach children at all levels, not only when events like these happen. He says it's important to remember other violent things your children are exposed to like video games and movies.
He says parents should not avoid taking their children to the movies. They should just make sure they feel safe.
"Why would you avoid something you've always done for pleasure with kids," Williams said. "There is nothing more wholesome then taking your kids to do things."
If your child does ask why this shooting happened, Williams says you just need to tell them the truth.
"We can't try to conceal the fact that sometimes bad things happen to good people," he said.
Williams adds if your child has gone through a traumatic experience in the past, Friday's shooting could trigger those memories. It is important to make sure that child in a comfortable state of mind.
He says most children will not have any effects from this, and have the perspective that it did not happen nearby.
