Talking with Kids About Past Events with Dr. Angela Evans & Dr. Zoe Klemfuss
How we talk with children about past events matters. Whether the event was negative, emotional, or even mundane, how we approach these conversations influences the way children process and remember the event.
Dr. Angela Evans and Dr. Zoe Klemfuss joined Dr. Lindsay Malloy to dig into the “why” and the “how.” Why is it important to talk with kids about the past? And how do we have these conversations?
Together they share research and tips to help you have more engaging and productive conversations with the children in your life.
In this episode about “Talking with Kids”:
Why is it important to talk to children about past events, including difficult events? What benefits are there to doing so?
Should parents be worried that bringing up difficult events with children could traumatize them?
“Boston Bomb Attack Triggered PTSD in Local Kids, Study Finds” interview with Dr. Jonathan Comer (NBC News)
The preliminary findings from studies of parents talking with kids about COVID-19.
Is there a right way to bring up a negative or traumatic event in conversation with kids?
How can we encourage children and teens to talk about their emotions?
How much is too much? To what extent should we share our own emotions with our child(ren)?
Bite-Sized Excerpts from this Episode:
How to Get Your Child to Open Up
Advice From an 8-Year-Old on Talking to Kids
How to Encourage Your Child to Share About Their Day
How to Encourage Your Child to Talk About Feelings
Is it okay for your child to see you get emotional?
It’s Okay to Tell Your Child “Let’s Talk Later”
Meet Our Guest Experts
Angela D. Evans, Ph.D.
Angela D. Evans, Ph.D. is a developmental psychologist with a focus on social and cognitive development across the lifespan. Dr. Evans' program of research focuses on how to obtain the most honest, accurate, and detailed reports from children about their experiences and is the Co-Founder of the Canadian Child Interviewing Research Team. Dr. Evans has experience conducting forensic interviews with children in cases of suspected maltreatment and provides training to professionals on how to interview child witnesses.
J. Zoe Klemfuss, Ph.D.
J. Zoe Klemfuss, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Science at the University of California, Irvine with appointments in the Center for Psychology and Law and in the Department of Language Science. She is a developmental psychologist with expertise in questioning children in legal contexts, parent-child conversations about children's experiences, as well as children's narratives and memory for past events more broadly. Much of her work has focused on best practices for talking to children about emotional and stressful experiences.