Camp Mystic: A Psychiatrist and Mother’s Advice to Parents

This article was written for Cook Children’s Checkup Newsroom. Kristen Pyrc, M.D., a mother and medical director of outpatient psychiatry at Cook Children’s, feels the weight of this weekend’s events both as a mother and as a psychiatrist. Dr. Pyrc shares her wisdom on how to navigate these difficult, heavy conversations with your children. Our hearts go out to the children and families affected by the recent floods in Central Texas, especially those at Camp Mystic and beyond. We understand many parents and loved ones are struggling to find the right words to explain this tragedy and console their children during this difficult time.

Yesterday was hard. I dropped off my daughter, Linden, at sleepaway camp with her bravest cousin, Evelyn. In light of the tragedy at Camp Mystic, there were many conversations and tears about whether to attend camp this week. Ultimately, both girls decided to attend. I am so proud of their strength and courage. I would have been equally proud of their self-awareness & honesty if they decided not to go. Many parents will have to navigate difficult conversations with our kids in the coming days so I put together some tips that will hopefully lighten your load a bit.

If you are concerned about how they will take the news, you should tell them. Other kids will be talking about it, and you want your kids to learn the news at home where they are safe to cry if they need to and ask questions. It is also important to impress upon them the sensitive nature of the matter. Encourage them to talk to an adult and not another child if they need to chat when they are away from you.

• Be factual when explaining what happened but shield them from harrowing details, wall-to-wall news coverage, or imagining what the kids went through. Their minds may go there on their own though.
• Survivor’s guilt is sneaky. Lots of kids will wonder about why this happened to other children and not them. Younger kids sometimes think they did something wrong to cause a tragedy to happen. In a few weeks, it may be good to check in about it (“Sometimes kids wonder why this happened to other kids and not them. Have you been thinking about that?”). Hopefully, it hasn’t come up for them, but it would be good to talk through if it has.
•  If they are grieving, give them something to do with their grief. I know this helps me. Could they pray, raise money, write letters, etc?
• Watch out for nightmares & intrusive thoughts. Sometimes kids tell me they can’t get thoughts out of their head, and it is very distressing to them.
• Reach out early to your pediatrician or mental health professional if you notice your kid is having trouble sleeping, not experiencing joy, spending a lot of time in their room, or just can’t turn their brain off. It is so incredibly hard to watch our babies suffer. I promise we want to help.
• I wish I had some magic words to take away our kids’ worries and sadness, but I don’t. The important thing is they have you, a parent who loves them beyond comprehension & is trying their best. I promise you that is good enough.

Cook Children’s is here to help, know you are not alone. They are providing the resources below to help support you and your child.  Talking to one another and seeking assistance is a vital first step in healing. If your child needs additional support, please reach out to your child’s pediatrician. 

• Cook Children’s have lots of resources here: https://www.cookchildrens.org/health-resources/mental-health/ 
• You can also access local mental health resources for your family 24/7 through MHMR by calling 1-800-866-2465. 
• To learn more about Cook Children’s behavioral health services or to schedule an appointment for your child, contact 682-885-3917. 
• The Parent Pass app also has many resources for families: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/parent-pass/id1597475361