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American Morning

Interview With Patricia Choquet, Irwin Redlener

Aired October 09, 2002 - 07:44   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Student attendance fell Tuesday by more than one-third at the Maryland middle school, where a 13-year-old boy was wounded by a sniper on Monday. Of course, this shooting has raised the anxiety levels for all parents all over the country, as they take their children to school.
What can parents do to ease the fears of their children?

We are joined by two guests, Dr. Irwin Redlener, a pediatrician and president of the Children's Health Fund, and Patricia Choquet. She and her 8-year-old daughter live not far from where some of the shootings have happened. They join us from Washington this morning.

Welcome to you all.

DR. IRWIN REDLENER, CHILDREN'S HEALTH FUND: Good morning.

PATRICIA CHOQUET, MOTHER OF 8-YEAR-OLD: Good morning.

ZAHN: Patricia, tell us a little bit about how your child learned about these killings and shootings.

CHOQUET: Well, when I picked her from school, she thought -- well, she told me that there was a lockout at school, and she thought that a man was driving around her school. So, I explained to her what had happened. I decided that I should tell her what had happened. But then after, when I told her, she shrieked and she was very scared, and she has been having nightmares ever since.

ZAHN: What is she dreaming about? That it's come to her neighborhood? It's come to her house?

CHOQUET: Yes, that he's going to break into our house. And she screams -- the first night, she woke up twice screaming, "I don't want to die."

ZAHN: Has there been anything you could do that could help calm her down?

CHOQUET: Well, I just try to tell her that the police -- there are police everywhere protecting her, and they're going to find who did it. And I don't know exactly what to tell her.

(CROSSTALK)

ZAHN: Well, let's ask Dr. Redlener. I mean, your daughter obviously is living right in the area where all of this has happened, and I have heard reports of kids all over the country having dreams like this, because their fear -- their sense of safety has been shaken.

What do you tell kids about what's happened?

REDLENER: Well, exactly -- right. And the other thing, of course, this is not in a vacuum. This is after 9/11. It's after, especially in Washington, the anthrax scare at the Brentwood Post Office facility. And so, this, in a sense, is the third major episode in about a year.

It's very difficult for children, both locally in this area, but also nationally, because when children, especially young children, see these kinds of reports on television or hear about them, they have no way of discriminating whether it's something happening in their neighborhood or something far away.

So, this kind of reaction is, unfortunately, very, very common. So, there's a lot of things that parents, though, can do to help their kids cope with this.

ZAHN: Patricia was on the right track, was she not, when she said law enforcement is on the scene? She said it in a much more family-friendly way, they are there to protect you.

REDLENER: Absolutely, absolutely, yes, yes.

ZAHN: What else should you tell kids?

REDLENER: Well, there's a couple of things you can say to children. And by the way, what you say to children is very much dependent upon how old the child is and how developmentally or emotionally ready they are to get information of different types.

But no matter what -- and one good rule of thumb is honesty without dwelling on or harping on the actual details and facts. Just give just enough information, but it should be accurate.

But from the reassurance point of view, Paula, there's a number of things that parents can do. No. 1 is to restate the -- what's clear to adults is that there's a massive effort around to capture this person and make sure that this whole episode is ended.

The second thing, though, is that children, during times of stress like this, may require a lot more attention, even a physical closeness, more attention to usual family routines.

And so, let's say a family is not able to go outside as much as they would have normally. And that would be the routine, say, going to the park everyday. If it's not comfortable for the family to do that, then create another routine that's inside that's everyday -- playing games, reading to the child or whatever. And these kinds of things are very reassuring that parents are close, they are available and they are accessible.

ZAHN: We actually have some graphics that reinforce what you've just said, and we'll continue to play those throughout this conversation.

What are the -- as we digest this, help us understand what the signs are that a child is not coping well. I mean, the one thing we didn't mention was the kidnappings in California...

REDLENER: Exactly.

ZAHN: ... which, of course, caused a lot of kids this summer sleepless nights.

REDLENER: There's no question about it. And I think that one of the important things for parents to be able to do is to understand when a child is needing more support than the parent can give. So, one, you have to speak to your pediatrician, or get some other kind of counselor to help you and the child cope with the situation.

And the first thing is that for most children, and in fact for most people, an acute reaction of anxiety, not wanting to go outside, even having nightmares, is normal and appropriate to this situation.

The question is, if the symptoms persist, if a child who not only doesn't want to go to school today, but continues not to want to go to school or not to want to leave the house, and there's nothing that a parent can do to reassure the child, that might be a warning sign that something more deep is going on and that more help and assistance might be needed and should be sought by the parent.

So, the persistence of symptoms, severe symptoms, changes in the child's behavior that look important, for example, the child becomes totally withdrawn and really not speaking with peers or siblings, or combative, or in any way is displaying personality changes that parents are worried about, it really is worthwhile to at least make a call to the pediatrician to see if there is something more that can be said or done for this child and the family.

ZAHN: So, Patricia, according to the doctor's house call here, you are absolutely on the right track. Any closing thought on how your family is approaching the mystery of what's gone on in your community and continues to feel vulnerable?

CHOQUET: It's just -- it's really scary. I just hope they catch whoever is doing this, and -- yes. I just hope they catch who is doing this.

ZAHN: Well, we wish you the best and your daughter the best, probably the toughest situation a parent ever has to confront.

REDLENER: It's extremely difficult and extremely challenging for all of us really.

ZAHN: Well, we appreciate your insights as usual.

REDLENER: Glad to be here.

ZAHN: Dr. Irwin Redlener and Patricia Choquet, thank you for talking with us this morning. CHOQUET: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.







Aired October 9, 2002 - 07:44   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Student attendance fell Tuesday by more than one-third at the Maryland middle school, where a 13-year-old boy was wounded by a sniper on Monday. Of course, this shooting has raised the anxiety levels for all parents all over the country, as they take their children to school.
What can parents do to ease the fears of their children?

We are joined by two guests, Dr. Irwin Redlener, a pediatrician and president of the Children's Health Fund, and Patricia Choquet. She and her 8-year-old daughter live not far from where some of the shootings have happened. They join us from Washington this morning.

Welcome to you all.

DR. IRWIN REDLENER, CHILDREN'S HEALTH FUND: Good morning.

PATRICIA CHOQUET, MOTHER OF 8-YEAR-OLD: Good morning.

ZAHN: Patricia, tell us a little bit about how your child learned about these killings and shootings.

CHOQUET: Well, when I picked her from school, she thought -- well, she told me that there was a lockout at school, and she thought that a man was driving around her school. So, I explained to her what had happened. I decided that I should tell her what had happened. But then after, when I told her, she shrieked and she was very scared, and she has been having nightmares ever since.

ZAHN: What is she dreaming about? That it's come to her neighborhood? It's come to her house?

CHOQUET: Yes, that he's going to break into our house. And she screams -- the first night, she woke up twice screaming, "I don't want to die."

ZAHN: Has there been anything you could do that could help calm her down?

CHOQUET: Well, I just try to tell her that the police -- there are police everywhere protecting her, and they're going to find who did it. And I don't know exactly what to tell her.

(CROSSTALK)

ZAHN: Well, let's ask Dr. Redlener. I mean, your daughter obviously is living right in the area where all of this has happened, and I have heard reports of kids all over the country having dreams like this, because their fear -- their sense of safety has been shaken.

What do you tell kids about what's happened?

REDLENER: Well, exactly -- right. And the other thing, of course, this is not in a vacuum. This is after 9/11. It's after, especially in Washington, the anthrax scare at the Brentwood Post Office facility. And so, this, in a sense, is the third major episode in about a year.

It's very difficult for children, both locally in this area, but also nationally, because when children, especially young children, see these kinds of reports on television or hear about them, they have no way of discriminating whether it's something happening in their neighborhood or something far away.

So, this kind of reaction is, unfortunately, very, very common. So, there's a lot of things that parents, though, can do to help their kids cope with this.

ZAHN: Patricia was on the right track, was she not, when she said law enforcement is on the scene? She said it in a much more family-friendly way, they are there to protect you.

REDLENER: Absolutely, absolutely, yes, yes.

ZAHN: What else should you tell kids?

REDLENER: Well, there's a couple of things you can say to children. And by the way, what you say to children is very much dependent upon how old the child is and how developmentally or emotionally ready they are to get information of different types.

But no matter what -- and one good rule of thumb is honesty without dwelling on or harping on the actual details and facts. Just give just enough information, but it should be accurate.

But from the reassurance point of view, Paula, there's a number of things that parents can do. No. 1 is to restate the -- what's clear to adults is that there's a massive effort around to capture this person and make sure that this whole episode is ended.

The second thing, though, is that children, during times of stress like this, may require a lot more attention, even a physical closeness, more attention to usual family routines.

And so, let's say a family is not able to go outside as much as they would have normally. And that would be the routine, say, going to the park everyday. If it's not comfortable for the family to do that, then create another routine that's inside that's everyday -- playing games, reading to the child or whatever. And these kinds of things are very reassuring that parents are close, they are available and they are accessible.

ZAHN: We actually have some graphics that reinforce what you've just said, and we'll continue to play those throughout this conversation.

What are the -- as we digest this, help us understand what the signs are that a child is not coping well. I mean, the one thing we didn't mention was the kidnappings in California...

REDLENER: Exactly.

ZAHN: ... which, of course, caused a lot of kids this summer sleepless nights.

REDLENER: There's no question about it. And I think that one of the important things for parents to be able to do is to understand when a child is needing more support than the parent can give. So, one, you have to speak to your pediatrician, or get some other kind of counselor to help you and the child cope with the situation.

And the first thing is that for most children, and in fact for most people, an acute reaction of anxiety, not wanting to go outside, even having nightmares, is normal and appropriate to this situation.

The question is, if the symptoms persist, if a child who not only doesn't want to go to school today, but continues not to want to go to school or not to want to leave the house, and there's nothing that a parent can do to reassure the child, that might be a warning sign that something more deep is going on and that more help and assistance might be needed and should be sought by the parent.

So, the persistence of symptoms, severe symptoms, changes in the child's behavior that look important, for example, the child becomes totally withdrawn and really not speaking with peers or siblings, or combative, or in any way is displaying personality changes that parents are worried about, it really is worthwhile to at least make a call to the pediatrician to see if there is something more that can be said or done for this child and the family.

ZAHN: So, Patricia, according to the doctor's house call here, you are absolutely on the right track. Any closing thought on how your family is approaching the mystery of what's gone on in your community and continues to feel vulnerable?

CHOQUET: It's just -- it's really scary. I just hope they catch whoever is doing this, and -- yes. I just hope they catch who is doing this.

ZAHN: Well, we wish you the best and your daughter the best, probably the toughest situation a parent ever has to confront.

REDLENER: It's extremely difficult and extremely challenging for all of us really.

ZAHN: Well, we appreciate your insights as usual.

REDLENER: Glad to be here.

ZAHN: Dr. Irwin Redlener and Patricia Choquet, thank you for talking with us this morning. CHOQUET: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.