Once again the headlines scream in pain as the unimaginable becomes our reality. Playing out all over the 
news today is the gut wrenching slaughter of many children and their teachers at an elementary school, of all places, in Newtown, Connecticut.
I offer prayers for the families and the community devastated by this violence against the innocent. This year has seen several tragic shootings which are terrifying for all of us. When this happens in an elementary school, a place of safety, of learning, of play, our suffering is amplified. It would be best of course if children never have to hear about events like these, however that is not the world we seem to live in!
If your children hear about this tragedy, it is natural for them to imagine “what if?” and “will it?” happen in my school? Am I safe??? Can this happen to me and my friends? Parents and teachers and caregivers should not shy away from directly discussing this with children who are concerned or anxious or fearful. Let them know their fear is normal, that it’s OK to be sad on behalf of those who died, and even frightened that it may happen to them. Then we must explain how they themselves are safe. That the gunman who caused this incident is no longer a threat to anyone. Tell them that their teachers and principals work every day to make sure their schools are safe, then as quickly as possible, get back to your normal routine! Be aware that for some kids they may never think about this again, while others may have nightmares or manifest their anxiety in other ways. Both are normal reactions.
Our children rely on us to help them define the world they live in, and at the same time they have razor sharp radar for when the truth is being hidden from them. Being honest with them, respecting when they want to talk and when they don’t, accepting their reactions as “appropriate” no matter what they are, and then returning to your family’s routine is the best we can do during these media fueled, tragedies.
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Tagged: LeVar Burton
LeVar you’re a good person and an inspiration to all humans. Thank you for being there for us all, sir.
I agree. LeVar has always been an inspiration to me and my children. His shows helped me bring up my kids with a love for reading positive and inspiring and fun books. My heart is broken for those families who have lost loved ones.
God bless you LeVar, and most of all, all the families affected by this terrible tragedy, especially the children
What a thoughtful post, Mr. Burton.
Thank you for that, and for continuing to be an inspiration to parents and children everywhere.
Well said Geordi (Yes, I’m a fan)
All in all we must help the next generation grow into it’s own reality without too much of our own trouble injected. Events such as this one force our hand and we must tread carefully.
I have a great nephew living with me who is in kindergarden today that I’m sure will be all superhero about it, but afraid on the inside. And a great niece in the same school who already had issues with people dying.
Tonight is not going to be easy, I thank you for the advice, which I agree is the proper way to push forward, tho I suspect in the nieces case it will come up a lot for a while.
As I watched this unfold on television, I wondered myself how I could braoch this subject with my own child if he hears about it. Thank you for this.
Thank you, Mr. Burton. Just thank you.
Thank you for helping me become a better reader 25 years ago, and a better parent today.
[...] dead, including 20 kids. I do, however, want to point out LeVar Burton’s post about it on the Reading Rainbow blog, where he tells parents how to talk to their kids about the shooting. It’s pretty tragic that [...]
Thanks. I know many parents will heed your advice and protect and prolong childhood a bit more for their kids!
How insane is it that this post actually had to be written? That we live in a world where parents will actually need to talk to their kids about shootings in elementary school? It’s a wonderfully thought-out post, but it never should’ve needed to be written.
Still, good job, LeVar, helping the parents and children who maybe weren’t directly affected, but who are still paying attention to this tragedy.
Thank you, from a reeling Connecticut.
Thank you so much for helping us parents find the words to say to help comfort our children.
Thank you!
Mr Burton, thank you for trying.
Tom Drake: Read some more books, Sir!
Everyone else here: please, if you can, try to further support literacy and education in your community.
Thank you, Mr. Burton. I will pass this along to everyone.
Dearest Lavar,
Thank you for your words of comfort and wisdom. They were brought to my attention by my 24 year old son who admires you greatly. Thank you for being such a positive influence in this world, especially through your work with reading rainbow, which my son and I still watch occasionally. It was a mainstay of his childhood as were the books shown on our weekly trips to the Library. Such a sad day for our country. The president is right-there have been too many such days and we all must find a solution. Our prayers go out to the community of newtown and the families of all slain, for His mercy and justice to reign, not the evil which is responsible for thus tragedy.
A friend just asked me where Mr. Rogers was when you needed him. Right after I replied to her, someone else shared your blog with me. Thank you for taking the time to reach out as he used to do. You are a true exemplar of what education does when done right.
Reading Rainbow and LeVar Burton helped inspire possibilities for all of my children. A love of reading shared by all led my eldest to teaching literture and working in special ed. Imagining and dreaming helped nurture the seeds in my actor middle child and the notion that “I can do anything” has blossomed in my youngest inspiring him to social awareness and starting a non profit while in high school. And even now in the midst of this most unspeakable tragedy you again deliver an en pointe message of support to parents and their children. Sometime “I can do anything” can mean even unpleasant things you don’t want to do. The long term ramifications of not dealing with it openly would be devasting. Well played Mr.Burton. Well played. Thank you!
Reblogged this on Beauty Preservation Balance and commented:
LeVar is great …
I find I am overwhelmed and numbed by this latest round of violence, and I share some of Mr. flameaway’s poorly articulated sentiments about the state of the world.
In the article and the comments here I see: “I offer prayers for the families and the community devastated by this violence against the innocent.” and “Our prayers go out to the community of newtown and the families of all slain, for His mercy and justice to reign, not the evil which is responsible for thus tragedy.”
But what about compasion and empathy for the tortured soul that did this terrible act? This is not something that a happy, content fulfiled person would do. Should we learn to listen to others … all others … as a part of the lessons from this? Shouldn’t we offer prayers to the perpetrators too?
I will close with an interesting article about the University of Texas at Austin Tower shooting in 1966.
http://psychiatricnews.wordpress.com/the-texas-tower-massacre/
I don’t know enough to say that it helps explains the events in Newtown, or even in Austin, but it seems like something that we should ask about.
LeVar Burton is the new Mr. Rogers, a steady voice of compassion and reason in a troubled world. Thank you.
I would add, explain to them that everybody in the whole country, perhaps even in the world. is mourning this senseless horrible tragedy. Thank you Levar. (I remember you when you were Kunta Kinte on Roots)
So that makes you older than I am but you look younger.
Hey Mr. LeVar Burton thanks for posting the blog about talking to the children about the elementary school shootings. You know when I first heard about on the news/speical report yesterday I though it was like WOW! I mean carzy. But I’m 25 & I don’t have kids right about now. I mean it’s so sad & deverstaing at the same time. When things are happen at such at worng place at a worng time.
As someone who was constantly terrified that the London Underground would be bombed after the July 7th bombings, this was the kind of advice that I strongly approve of. Thank you.
Wonderful essay Mr. Burton but you have it “Newton” instead of “Newtown” in the first paragraph.
I’m especially grateful for the remark that we must help the kids know (we must help ourselves know) that ANY reaction they ar having–from numbness to nightmare–is ‘appropriate’ for them. Because there can be no truly appropriate reaction to this. i certainly have not sorted out my own reactions–whatever must be going on in the kids’ young hearts and minds?
Thanks, Mr. Burton.
Going to have that talk with my 6 year old today since an older kid at school told him what happened and that the gunman is Comming here next. After I’m done with my son I’m going to the school to talk with the principal about this because this kind of behaviour is a type of bullying in my mind and I don’t want other kids to suffer for this as well.
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