In the wake of the Boston Marathon explosions, Stoneham parents may find their children hearing about the tragedy or seeing it on the news and find themselves in a difficult discussion.
For parents seeking guidance on how to address the tragedy with their own children, if it comes up, Boston Children's Hospital offers these steps to follow.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also has a 24-hour hotline dedicated to providing disaster crisis counseling at 1-800-985-5990 or by texting "TalkWithUs" to 66746. The hotline is open to U.S. residents who are experiencing psychological distress as a result of a natural or man-made disasters, incidents of mass violence or any other disasters.
SAMHSA also has tips for students, schools, adults, families, responders and health professionals in dealing with tragedies.