In light of the Gilroy shooting, experts say it's important to have a discussion with your children about tragedies, because children can interpret violence in personal ways.

Kerstin Trachok, a clinical professional counselor intern at The Children's Cabinet said, "We do get scared as adults you know talking about these things, and if we're scared imagine how your child feels. So when they come to you about something and they're talking about it, it's really important that we do sit down and answer their questions."

Because kids can get information from their friends, television, and the internet, they recommend that you take the first step and communicate with your children.

Trachok said, "The children will probably have questions, and it's not important that we go into gory details. But we need to make sure we're not vague. We need to let them know what's going on, and also be aware of what developmental stage the child's at."

She goes on to say that it's also important to acknowledge your child's feelings and emotions. Trachok gave an example of a moment explaining an incident like the Gilroy shooting to a young child, she said,"things like this happen, and this is really sad." She also said it is important to ask how the child feels and be aware of their emotional state. Trachok explains that during these unfortunate events, a child may feel stress or anxiety, and it's important to know those signs.

Trachok said, "Signs are not always emotional, so it might be behavioral. They might be acting out, or not sleeping very well or their eating habits have changed... maybe they're getting more angry."

Signs of stress includes:

  • Sleep problems: Watch for trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, difficulty waking, nightmares, etc.
  • Physical complaints: Children may complain of feeling tired, having a headache, or generally not feeling well. Look for decreases in appetite.
  • Changes in behavior: Becoming clingy, acting more immature than what is normal for your child, becoming less patient or more demanding.
  • Emotional problems: Sadness, depression and anxiety.

Trachok recommends that families go over safety protocol and come up with safety plans of their own that may alleviate stress or anxiety. She also says reassuring a child is important. 

"We can't be scared of everybody. We have to believe in the good of people, but we also have to be aware. This is also when you have to talk to kids about, if something doesn't look right you have to talk to mom or dad or caregiver about it. Just letting them know that they can be responsible themselves, but they are also being protected by not only family but by authority figures and police and all of that as well." Trachok said.

There are plenty of resources and information that can help you spark a conversation with your child. You can visit http://www.childrenscabinet.org/ or https://www.washoeschools.net/Page/11144  to learn more.

(The Children's Cabinet contributed to this report)