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Q. I’m a mother of four incredible children, ranging in age from 5 to 13. Although some time has passed since the tragedy in Meron, I still question myself about whether I supported my children adequately following the disaster. Unfortunately, two of our distant cousins perished as well as many other young, innocent souls. As soon as I heard of the tragedy, I decided not to discuss it with my children. I guess I was engaging in wishful thinking that I was protecting them from the awful calamity. However, when they came back from school on Friday they were all in the know and were trying to make sense of the tragedy. My two younger children said that a lot of people were crushed, so their Lag BaOmer event in school had been cancelled. They asked me many questions related to the meaning of a stampede and how it affects them. On the other hand, my older children said that they recited Tehillim in school and were “over it” – but they didn’t look like they were “over it.” Because I felt clueless, I tried to answer my little ones’ questions and didn’t push my older children to discuss their feelings.  When I look back at how I handled it, I feel I was missing the tools to answer them effectively and provide them with the emotional support they craved. Although I hope such a tragedy never occurs again, I’m wondering how I could have reacted better in the moment.  

 

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