In a situation like this, many of us would be tempted to assure Marco that Sophia would be fine, then immediately focus on something else to get the child’s mind off the situation: “Let’s go get some ice cream!” In the days that followed, many parents would try to avoid upsetting their child by not discussing the accident. The problem with the “let’s go get some ice cream” approach is that it leaves the child confused about what happened and why. He is still full of big and scary emotions, but he isn’t allowed (or helped) to deal with them in an effective way.
