(Fort Worth Star-Telegram) - Parents should strive to reassure their children that they are safe, even at a time when their world seems otherwise, mental health professionals said.

"You do not want impart a sense of panic to your children," said Karen Sitterle, a clinical psychologist who was a member of the mental health team during the Oklahoma City bombing. "Children need to know we just do not let evil things happen to this country without responding. We will make it safe."

Parents need to be very vigilant about how their children are reacting to the extensive news coverage and events, said Mary Lynn Crow, a Fort Worth psychologist.

"If you think this is scary to adults, then imagine how it's affecting little children," she said. "They think this is the end of the world."

Young children, especially, are likely to react to the terrorism in terms of their own safety, said Dr. Pete Stavinoha, a child psychologist with UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children's Medical Center of Dallas.

"They may wonder if their house is going to be blown up," he said.

Children in the first years of elementary school should be shielded from information about the terrorism as much as possible, he said.

Parents can help their older children, who are likely to be exposed to more information, by staying close to them and allowing them to express their fears and anxieties.

Following the Oklahoma City bombing, mental health professionals learned how little things that escaped adults' attention had a profound impact on children.

"Lots of children thought that multiple buildings were being bombed, because they saw the footage over and over again," Sitterle said. "They did not realize what they saw was a repeat of the original bombing."

Parents should try to maintain their usual schedules or even be more rigid in how they spend their time in the days ahead, experts said. They should, for example, eat dinner as usual and avoid sitting in front of the television all night watching the footage, Stavinoha said.

"This shows children there is a way to regain some sense of security," he said.

With older children, it's important not to downplay their youngsters reactions or try to reassure them by saying this is happening far away in New York. Don't be dismissive, as if this is not a big deal, Stavinoha said.

Drawing pictures, sending letters to the families of victims or Attending religious services can help children and adults cope and feel as if they are doing something.

Parents should watch for long-term pathological reactions such as nightmares, behavior changes, irritability and social withdrawal, Stavinoha said.

Children will learn how to deal with the terrorism largely based on the example that their parents set.

"Learning how they pull together as family and how we pull together as country can be very helpful," she said.

Copyright 2001 The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram. All rights reserved.