• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar

Betsy Brown Braun

Child Development and Behavior Specialist. Parent Educator. Best Selling Author

  • Home
  • What’s New
    • Upcoming Appearances
    • Video Seminars on Demand
    • In the News
    • Ask BBB – Columns from the Palisadian-Post
  • About
  • Services
    • Register Now
    • Private Consultations
      • Consultation Policies
    • Custody Consultation; Co-Parenting Planning/Implementation
    • Concierge Consulting
    • Parenting Seminars
    • In-Person Parenting Seminars
    • Video Seminars on Demand
    • Parenting Groups
    • Parenting Groups FALL 2022 through MAY 2023
    • Speaker and Seminar Topics
  • Recommendations
    • Betsy’s Books
    • Books Betsy Recommends
    • Special Children’s Books
    • Books: Special Issues
    • Articles
  • Betsyisms
    • Questions and Answers
    • Video Shorts
    • Video Seminars on Demand
    • Well Said
  • Blog
    • All Blog Entries
  • Testimonials
    • Parents
    • Pediatricians/Professionals
  • Media
    • Magazines
    • Television
    • Newspapers
    • Internet
    • Radio
    • Podcasts
    • Electronic Press Kit
  • Contact

Talking to Your Children About the LAUSD School Closure

by Betsy Brown Braun on December 15, 2015, under Adolescents, Communication, Elementary School Children, Environmental influences, Parent modeling, Parenting, Safety, School, Sensitive Topics

Boy, do I ever dislike having to write this, the safety threat which caused the Los Angeles Unified School District wide school closure today, December 15, 2015

But to help you and all our children, may I remind you of a few things.

1. No one knows all the facts yet. Do not say what you suspect or do not know.

2. Turn off your radios, TV’s, computers. Kids who have NOT be exposed to this breaking news, need not know about any of it…until they need to know. Kids who have heard some news do not to keep hearing about it all day, generating fear and anxiety.

3. If your child’s school is closed and he hasn’t asked why, consider yourself lucky. Say nothing. But remember that with older children especially, there is likely to be playground and classroom conversation tomorrow.

4. If you child’s school is closed and he has asked why, keep your answers short, minimal and based on your child’s age/development.

“Your school left us a message to say it is closed to children today. They said that the adults are there the making sure the school is safe for all the students and staff.”

Depending upon what (and IF) your child next asks and his age/development/temperament, you can add:

“Someone left a message about doing things that would hurt people. That is all I know.  It was a threat. The helpers in our community along with adults at the school are making sure that your school is safe for everyone and that nothing will really happen.”

Because we don’t know any of the facts yet, you can say, “I don’t know the answer to that” to many of his direct questions.
5. With older children you may want to add something about this having been a threat.  You can discuss the reality that  sometimes people say things that they don’t really mean and that often threat is only that, a threat.  Threats are scary because we don’t know when or if it is going to happen so we have to take them seriously.

6.Follow your child’s lead, and answer only the questions your child asks. Do not add to her fear by telling her more than she has asked. Your child’s primary need is to feel safe, regardless of your feelings about politics, terrorism, and the like.

7. If he asks, “Why?” I suggest you fall back on what I have offered too many times in the past,

“Most people in the world are good, and their brains tell them to do the right things. But there are some people who are not good, who like to scare people, and who do bad things.”

8. Remember that elementary school and middle school age children see the world in black and white, bad guys and good guys. Help them to know that the great majority of people in the world are good guys.

9. Do not be overly dramatic. While you don’t want to underplay the severity of the situation, keep in mind that your child will absorb your affect and fears. Be serious; don’t be dramatic. Your child will pick up on your tone.

10. Do not downplay your child’s fears. Your child needs you to acknowledge her fears. However, your primary job is to let her know that she is safe and that you will keep her safe.
11. Be careful not to jump to conclusions. I believe this is a time to be very careful of profiling of any kind. No one knows who made the threat or why.

: how to answer why the LA Schools were closed., how to talk to kdis about the LA school closure, LAUSD school closure, what to tell kids about LAUSD school threat; talking to kids about LAUSD school threat; talking to kids about LA school threat
2 Comments

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. barry says

    December 16, 2015 at 8:56 pm

    It was very disturbing to me that on Air Talk today, Betsy Brown Braun kept suggesting phrases like “some people have brains that don’t work right” as explanations for why someone would want to hurt children. This can easily lead to ostracism and bullying of disabled children in the classroom. The language frequently used to describe these children is often something like “their brains work differently”, and it would be easy for a young child to conflate these two. Especially given the current attempts by various groups to shift blame from guns to mental disability and mental illness, we must be careful not to stigmatize these children.

  2. Betsy Brown Braun says

    January 21, 2016 at 5:14 am

    Thank you for taking the time to write, Barry. I agree with you that the language I suggested can be conflated with a slightly different description. It is an extremely difficult thing to describe, as you obviously know. In this case, we are talking about adults and not children whose brains work differently.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to receive news, articles and blogs from Betsy

Betsy is our modern-day version of the ‘village elder’ from whom we all seek counsel. Her suggestions have enabled me to respond to my children’s questions and curiosity in a way that respects their intelligence without confusing them.

- Paulina Ladreyt, mother of twin boys, Santa Monica, CA
Betsy Brown Braun
2019-06-21T14:30:37+00:00
Betsy is our modern-day version of the ‘village elder’ from whom we all seek counsel. Her suggestions have enabled me to respond to my children’s questions and curiosity in a way that respects their intelligence without confusing them. - Paulina Ladreyt, mother of twin boys, Santa Monica, CA
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5305/

Betsy Brown Braun’s class has been an incredible experience for me. Her wisdom, combined with a rare and wonderful sense of humor, has helped me become a better parent.

- Deborah Gleiberman, mother of three children
Betsy Brown Braun
2019-06-21T14:31:05+00:00
Betsy Brown Braun’s class has been an incredible experience for me. Her wisdom, combined with a rare and wonderful sense of humor, has helped me become a better parent. - Deborah Gleiberman, mother of three children
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5306/

Betsy is a wise, humorous, and caring advisor... Due in large part to Betsy, we are smarter parents and our children are happier and healthier as a result.

- Steven Webber, father of two boys
Betsy Brown Braun
2019-06-21T14:31:24+00:00
Betsy is a wise, humorous, and caring advisor... Due in large part to Betsy, we are smarter parents and our children are happier and healthier as a result. - Steven Webber, father of two boys
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5307/

Betsy Brown Braun is a master teacher and one of the wisest parenting experts I have ever known.

- Steven Carr Reuben, Ph.D., author of Children of Character
Betsy Brown Braun
2019-06-21T14:32:54+00:00
Betsy Brown Braun is a master teacher and one of the wisest parenting experts I have ever known. - Steven Carr Reuben, Ph.D., author of Children of Character
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5308/

Betsy is always able to come up with simple and unique approaches to common parenting problems as well as more complex issues. What she says makes good sense and always works...

- Joanna VanTrees Cowitt, mother of a boy and a girl, Los Angeles, CA
Betsy Brown Braun
2019-06-21T14:33:11+00:00
Betsy is always able to come up with simple and unique approaches to common parenting problems as well as more complex issues. What she says makes good sense and always works... - Joanna VanTrees Cowitt, mother of a boy and a girl, Los Angeles, CA
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5309/

I love the way you think and how clear you make the issues seem. You are so brilliant and I love how perceptive and straightforward you are. You anchor me and the things you say make a lot of sense.

- Leigh Nickoll, Marriage and Family Counselor
Betsy Brown Braun
2019-06-21T14:33:31+00:00
I love the way you think and how clear you make the issues seem. You are so brilliant and I love how perceptive and straightforward you are. You anchor me and the things you say make a lot of sense. - Leigh Nickoll, Marriage and Family Counselor
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5310/

Betsy’s private consultations are fabulous. She has a gift for understanding all different types of children and giving advice that works for your particular child.

- Craig Mallery
Betsy Brown Braun
2019-06-21T14:33:55+00:00
Betsy’s private consultations are fabulous. She has a gift for understanding all different types of children and giving advice that works for your particular child. - Craig Mallery
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5311/

Betsy got me over the bumps of raising two young boys and over the moguls of raising teenage boys. She is my rock.

- Deidra Hall
Betsy Brown Braun
2019-06-21T14:34:15+00:00
Betsy got me over the bumps of raising two young boys and over the moguls of raising teenage boys. She is my rock. - Deidra Hall
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5312/

Your talk really helped me in becoming a more “open” parent and less worried about little things that really don’t matter and restrict kids in a negative way.

- Nina Hong, mother
Betsy Brown Braun
2019-06-21T14:34:35+00:00
Your talk really helped me in becoming a more “open” parent and less worried about little things that really don’t matter and restrict kids in a negative way. - Nina Hong, mother
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5313/

Betsy keeps it real. She respects parents and children and gives parents the straight scoop about productive communication. I turn to her insights again and again.

- Alexis Bircoll Martin, mother of two
Betsy Brown Braun
2019-06-21T14:34:56+00:00
Betsy keeps it real. She respects parents and children and gives parents the straight scoop about productive communication. I turn to her insights again and again. - Alexis Bircoll Martin, mother of two
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5314/

Betsy Brown Braun is a fine observer of children…

- Dr. Robert M. Landaw, Pediatrician
Betsy Brown Braun
2019-06-21T14:35:16+00:00
Betsy Brown Braun is a fine observer of children… - Dr. Robert M. Landaw, Pediatrician
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5315/

Betsy offers the clearest, calming, and most helpful advice there is on parenting...She's like having the smartest, coolest, and amazingly right mom just a phone call away.

- Jane Buckingham, Author of The Modern Girls Guide to Life and The Modern Girls Guide to Motherhood
Betsy Brown Braun
2019-06-21T14:35:37+00:00
Betsy offers the clearest, calming, and most helpful advice there is on parenting...She's like having the smartest, coolest, and amazingly right mom just a phone call away. - Jane Buckingham, Author of The Modern Girls Guide to Life and The Modern Girls Guide to Motherhood
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5316/

A parenting guru.

- The New York Times
Betsy Brown Braun
2019-06-21T14:35:55+00:00
A parenting guru. - The New York Times
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5317/

We’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of positive response in our community from the PA Forum Betsy held for our Middle and High School parents. We are all discussing our implementation of her practical, meaningful advice - from how to respond to our teen's and tween’s meltdowns to how to deal with their messy rooms. Additionally she helped frame parenting (and over-parenting) during this challenging time as well as normalize our parental anxieties.Thank you Betsy!

- Leigh Morales, MS PA Forum Chair, The Greenhill School, Dallas TX
Betsy Brown Braun
2021-03-09T19:10:44+00:00
We’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of positive response in our community from the PA Forum Betsy held for our Middle and High School parents. We are all discussing our implementation of her practical, meaningful advice - from how to respond to our teen's and tween’s meltdowns to how to deal with their messy rooms. Additionally she helped frame parenting (and over-parenting) during this challenging time as well as normalize our parental anxieties.Thank you Betsy! - Leigh Morales, MS PA Forum Chair, The Greenhill School, Dallas TX
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5701/

Your voice is so often in my head as I navigate the adventures (good, bad, and yes, sometimes ugly) of parenting. I can’t imagine what I would have done all these years without it...it’s like a touchstone that keeps me on track

- Thea Andrews Wolf, mom of 2 middle school boys
Betsy Brown Braun
2022-02-03T07:33:32+00:00
Your voice is so often in my head as I navigate the adventures (good, bad, and yes, sometimes ugly) of parenting. I can’t imagine what I would have done all these years without it...it’s like a touchstone that keeps me on track - Thea Andrews Wolf, mom of 2 middle school boys
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5830/

You’re like a drug and it’s hard to get enough of your wisdom so thank you!

-Maryam Shahrokhi, Pediatrician in LA
Betsy Brown Braun
2022-03-01T09:52:11+00:00
You’re like a drug and it’s hard to get enough of your wisdom so thank you! -Maryam Shahrokhi, Pediatrician in LA
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5861/

Betsy is quite simply pure magic. Through the ups and downs of parenting (and life!), she is a constant source of tremendous guidance and wisdom and comfort. Having Betsy as a trusted resource (who has literally seen it all) as I navigate life with two boys is truly a blessing.

-Rebecca Jonah, mother of two boys
Betsy Brown Braun
2022-06-30T10:31:43+00:00
Betsy is quite simply pure magic. Through the ups and downs of parenting (and life!), she is a constant source of tremendous guidance and wisdom and comfort. Having Betsy as a trusted resource (who has literally seen it all) as I navigate life with two boys is truly a blessing. -Rebecca Jonah, mother of two boys
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5916/

I have participated in Betsy’s groups and private consultations over the past decade-plus. I find her guidance to be experience and research-based. And I respond to her no-bullshit directness. Her support helps me feel like I am working to be the best mom I can be; knowledgeable, present, and open. Being in the groups has given me so much confidence as a parent, plus camaraderie and lifelong friends with my fellow mom members. Betsy is the rock, sounding board, expert, and friend everyone needs while navigating the parenting journey.

-Meredith Alexander, mother of two boys
Betsy Brown Braun
2022-07-01T07:21:18+00:00
I have participated in Betsy’s groups and private consultations over the past decade-plus. I find her guidance to be experience and research-based. And I respond to her no-bullshit directness. Her support helps me feel like I am working to be the best mom I can be; knowledgeable, present, and open. Being in the groups has given me so much confidence as a parent, plus camaraderie and lifelong friends with my fellow mom members. Betsy is the rock, sounding board, expert, and friend everyone needs while navigating the parenting journey. -Meredith Alexander, mother of two boys
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5919/

Betsy is quite simply pure magic. Through the ups and downs of parenting, she is a constant source of tremendous guidance, , wisdom, and comfort. Having Betsy as a trusted resource, as I navigate life with two boys, is truly a blessing.

-Rebecca Jonah, mother of two boys
Betsy Brown Braun
2022-07-01T07:21:36+00:00
Betsy is quite simply pure magic. Through the ups and downs of parenting, she is a constant source of tremendous guidance, , wisdom, and comfort. Having Betsy as a trusted resource, as I navigate life with two boys, is truly a blessing. -Rebecca Jonah, mother of two boys
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5920/

When you [Betsy] speak, everything just sort of clicks and all the chaos going on around us seems to have order once again. We really appreciate your help and insight.

-Carter Horton Thomas, father of two girls
Betsy Brown Braun
2022-07-26T16:57:10+00:00
When you [Betsy] speak, everything just sort of clicks and all the chaos going on around us seems to have order once again. We really appreciate your help and insight. -Carter Horton Thomas, father of two girls
https://betsybrownbraun.com/testimonials/5969/
0
Betsy Brown Braun

Betsy Brown Braun Follow

Child development & behavior specialist, best selling author of award winning Just Tell Me What to Say (2008) & You're Not the Boss of Me. (2010)

BetsyBBraun
betsybbraun Betsy Brown Braun @betsybbraun ·
7 Mar

Talking to kids of all ages about the war in Ukraine.https://betsybrownbraun.com/blog/

Reply on Twitter 1500911326691880961 Retweet on Twitter 1500911326691880961 1 Like on Twitter 1500911326691880961 2 Twitter 1500911326691880961
Load More

Secondary Sidebar

Seminars, groups and consulting
Engagements, media, presentations, and video seminars
Just Tell Me What to Say and You’re Not The Boss of Me. Buy them today!
On Demand Parenting Seminars.
Read the latest blog posts from Betsy.

Betsy Brown Braun

  • Home
  • What’s New
  • About
  • Services
  • Recommendations
  • Betsyisms
  • Blog
  • Testimonials
  • Media
  • Contact