TOLEDO, Ohio — The pictures and videos of the tributes for fallen Toledo Police Officer Anthony Dia can be tough to watch for anyone, let alone a child. But that doesn't mean you can't talk to them about it.
Many parents chose to have their children participate in the vigils, memorial services and funeral procession for Officer Dia.
"We just try to instill in them that what the police are here for, they're here to keep us safe and make people feel safe," said Taira Bush, a parent who brought her daughter to Dia's funeral procession.
Although some may be too young to understand, older children may be more curious. Experts say center your answers around their questions.
"Allow them to guide and lead the conversation because kids will only ask questions that they are developmentally and cognitively ready for the answer for," said Carrie Baker, a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Maumee Bay Pediatrics, an affiliate of The Toledo Clinic.
If your child really isn't asking specific questions about this topic but you still want to have some sort of conversation with them, the best approach to that is to be calm and comforting.
A teenager may be ready to hear more specific details about a scary topic, and experts say an honest and open conversation with them is a good idea, but a seven-year-old doesn't necessarily need to know anything they aren't asking or that isn't directly affecting them
"Helping them understand why some of these things happen, or that the fact is we don't understand why these things happen and give them reassurance of their own protection and safety," Baker said.