Mister Rogers famously advised children in times of distress and troubling news to focus on "the helpers."
He said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'”
Following recent mass shootings, children and adults alike may be experiencing challenging emotions.
Fred Rogers Productions, the producer of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, reached out to Rocky Mountain PBS to share their PBS Kids for Parents article, Helping Children with Tragic Events in the News.
The article explains that even young children are sensitive to how caregivers are feeling, and that children may be impacted when adults are worried by troubling news. But, there are many ways adults can help children feel safe and secure in challenging times.