I try not to tell my children that everything will be all right. If they are hurt, I tell them that they are OK if they are OK, and that a doctor will fix them up if a doctor needs to fix them up. If they are scared, I tell them that they are safe if they are safe, and that I am here for them and with them no matter what. If they are anxious, I ask them what they are anxious about, and we talk through their feelings and reality, including the reality of their feelings. But I don’t want to get into the habit of saying, “Everything will be all right.” Because everything will not always be all right.

You can’t protect your children from tragedy.