Explaining a tragedy to children isn't easy. Younger children may not be aware of an event like the Sandy Hook shootings or the Boston Marathon bombing, but older children in the affected area and across the U.S. are likely to hear about it. If you have an older child, one old enough to surf the web or read the news, you may find yourself fielding questions about where and why and what if. Here are some resources from Legacy.com, children's grief expert Helen Fitzgerald and the American Hospice Foundation to guide you as you try to help your child make sense of a senseless and tragic event.

• After a Tragedy: What Kids Can Do

• Helping Children Through Grief

• The Grieving Teen

• Writing a Condolence Note to a Grieving Child or Adolescent

• Should Children Write Sympathy Notes?

• When to Involve Children in the Bereavement Process

• Teaching Children to Comfort the Bereaved

• Remembering Children: Obituaries Full of Accomplishment and Optimism 

• How to Support Victims of Violence