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Talking to children about difficult situations

Posted at 7:04 AM, Jan 27, 2016
and last updated 2016-01-27 13:21:21-05

INDIANAPOLIS -- After Tuesday's tragic bus crash at Amy Beverland Elementary School, many parents are asking how to best talk to their kids about what happened.

A schools bus, with 25 students on board, had jumped the curb and hit two 10-year-olds and an adult. 

The adult was later confirmed to be school principal Susan Jordan.

Lauran Canady, a clinical manager of social work at Riley Hospital, said it's best to encourage children to talk about the experience.

"We always encourage families to be open with their children and answer their questions honestly," she said. "We don't necessarily need to give children all the details, but to be up-front and give them information that's appropriate for their age."

For anybody interested in counseling for themselves or their children, the following locations will be open for emotional support to staff and families from 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m:

  • Amy Beverland Elementary, 11650 Fox Road
  • Belzer Middle School, 7555 East 56th Street
  • Transportation, 5850 Thunderbird Road
  • Lawrence Education and Community Center (LECC), 6501 Sunnyside Road

Additional support will be brought in on Thursday for anybody who needs it.

Canady says parents can talk to their kids about what happened, even if they don't even go to Amy Beverland Elementary.

"Kids have big imaginations and they sense more than we give them credit for seeing," she said "It's better to be open and encourage that dialog than to not necessarily address it because you don't think it affected them." 

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