As parents, we want to protect our children. When they’re toddlers, we hold them close, assuring them there is no monster hiding under the bed. As they become adolescents, we share advice when they’re fighting with a friend and show empathy over a low-test grade. We understand these types of tribulations, having gone through them ourselves, and readily offer a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on.

But what do we do when they come to us with worries over larger issues such as school shootings or climate change? When we were kids, we did not widely discuss these issues. In fact, they may be fears we hold as well.

Daniel Keating, Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Pediatrics at the University of Michigan and author of the column, “Stressful Lives,” shares the following advice on how to foster a feeling of empowerment, rather than panic, in your child.

Read Professor Keating's advice at Ann Arbor Family.