BURLINGTON, Ky. -- Thursday has been a difficult day for the Burlington Elementary School community after 9-year-old Aiden Kramer and his mother were found shot dead Wednesday morning at their apartment on Peoples Lane.
Boone County Schools grief counselors have been on hand as students, parents and staff share their heartbreak about the fourth-grader and his mother on social media. School Psychologist Alan Mullins said it's important for parents to keep tabs on their children and look for changes in behavior, such as not eating or sleeping.
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Mullins said parents should be honest without giving kids false hope when talking about difficult topics like death. That means sometimes leaving out certain details, he said.
"We want to give them a sense of stability and a sense of comfort and security," Mullins said. "I don't think we want to cover things up and give the messages that aren't going to be true such as, 'Oh, Aiden's OK.'"
Mullins says it's important for kids to know that that death is a part of life and that it's OK to feel sad after losing a loved one. He suggested getting kids to open up through artwork or making cards to express their grief and sympathy. Classmates and teachers will be doing that in school on Thursday and in the days ahead.
