Parents Grapple With Breaking Newtown News to Kids, Showing Support

Looking to pay tribute the 20 children and 6 adults that lost their lives on Friday after a school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, parents of students from Westhampton Beach and Remsenburg/Speonk started an e-mail chain on Sunday night asking parents to have their children dress in Sandy Hook Elementary School's School color, green.

The chain, with the subject line, "Sandy Hook School Spirit" was sent to over 50 parents who forwarded to fellow parents.

But, while many parents responded saying that "yes," they will relay the message to their children, especially those with students in middle and high school, others said that they would have difficulty explaining to their elementary school students why they should wear the colors.

One Remsenburg parent, who wished not to be named, told Patch that her 8th grader, who attends Westhampton Beach Middle School and her friends all went to school on Monday morning wearing green, but she said she thought long and hard on what to say to her third grader, who attends Remsenburg Elementary School.

In the end, she said she opted not to ask her son to wear green, but said she did decide to have a discussion with him about the tragedy after talking with other parents.

"I didn't want him to find out about it at the lunch room table," she said. "And I spoke with other parents and asked them what their kids knew."

Because she said her son is an anxious child, she opted to tell him right before he went in to school on Monday morning so that he didn't have too much time to think about it.

She said she told him that the President spoke to the nation on Sunday night about a tragedy that happened in another state.

"I stressed how rare it was, and that he was going to do everything in his power to make sure it never happens again. I also told him that the person who did the shooting was dead, and can not do it again."

She said she also stressed that his school was very safe and has excellent security.

How are you talking to your kids about Friday's tragedy? Post your thoughts in the comment section below.

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