How to Talk to Your Children About Tragedies CTV News February 2026

How to Talk to Your Children About Tragedies

With Insights from Child Psychologist Tania Johnson

When events like the Tumbler Ridge Tragedy or a school shooting dominate the news, many parents feel overwhelmed and unsure how to talk to their children.

In this video, Registered Psychologist and Play Therapist Tania Johnson explains how to have developmentally appropriate conversations with kids after tragic events.

You will learn how to reduce anxiety, support emotional regulation, and help your child feel safe when the world feels uncertain.

We discuss: • How to start the conversation about a school shooting • What children actually need to hear after a tragedy • How much information is appropriate by age • Ways to calm the nervous system after scary news • How connection protects children from long-term anxiety

Children do not just need facts. They need steady adults. They need reassurance. They need space to process.

If you are struggling with how to talk to your child about the Tumbler Ridge Tragedy, a school shooting, or other frightening world events, this guidance will help you lead with calm, clarity, and connection.

Tumbler Ridge- our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

When a tragic event happens — whether it’s a natural disaster, an act of violence, or heartbreaking news shared online — it often leaves adults feeling stunned and unsure of what to say. But what makes these moments even harder is doing our best to help our children understand and cope with what they’ve seen or heard.

Talking to kids about tragedy isn’t about sugar-coating reality — it’s about guiding them through it in a way that feels safe, supportive, and developmentally appropriate. And one of the leading voices in this space is Tania Johnson, registered psychologist, play therapist, and co-host of The Child Psych Podcast.

Why Talking to Kids Matters

Children don’t always have the language to express their worries or fears about big world events. What they do have are feelings — confusion, fear, sadness, even guilt — that can show up in behaviour long before they show up in words. Tania’s work emphasizes that we don’t have to be perfect communicators — we just need to be present, emotionally available, and able to listen deeply.

When adults avoid the conversation or brush it aside, kids are left to fill in the blanks with their imaginations — and that can often make scary things feel even bigger or more threatening.

Lead With Connection — Not Information First

Tania Johnson often highlights that children process the world differently than adults do — especially through relationships, stories, and metaphors rather than direct facts.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

1. Start by asking what your child has already heard.
Before launching into explanations, let them share what they already know or think. This helps you understand their perspective rather than projecting your adult interpretation onto them.

2. Use open-ended questions and active listening.
Instead of asking if they’re “scared,” you might ask:

“What part of that news story stood out to you?”
“How is that making you feel right now?”
This invites them to use their own words and gives you a clearer window into their inner world.

3. Avoid too much detail or graphic descriptions.
Experts like the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend focusing on basic facts that are helpful without overwhelming your child with imagery they can’t process.

Tania adds that kids don’t just hear with their minds — they take in information with their bodies and imaginations too — so less can actually be more when it comes to details.

Let Stories and Examples Lead the Way

One of the beautiful things about Tania’s guidance — and something she’s talked about on the podcast — is using stories, play, and metaphor as bridges to help children express what’s inside.

For younger children, books, movies, or even play with toys can be more effective than direct news summaries. You might say something like:

“In this story, a character felt scared when things were uncertain. Have you ever felt that way?”

Stories help children externalize emotions and then start to talk about them from a safe distance.

Validate Their Feelings, Without Fixing Them

You might not always have an answer for every question your child asks — and that’s okay.

What is helpful, according to Tania and other child development experts, is naming the feelings you see:

“It makes sense you’d feel uneasy about this.”
“That sounds pretty overwhelming.”

When a child feels heard and understood, anxiety becomes more manageable — even if the situation itself hasn’t changed.

Safety Comes From Connection

At its core, Tania’s work reminds us: children need to feel safe with us — even when the world feels unsafe.

That doesn’t mean protecting them from all difficult news — it means giving them the space to explore it at their pace, with guidance, empathy, and reassurance that they’re not alone.