Elizabeth Smart Opens Up About Managing Her Children’s Safety Concerns
There is one question that still haunts Smart – what to say if her kids ask, “Will that happen to me?”
“I’ve had many parents ask me how to talk to their children,” Smart said. “I’m not a parenting expert, I can only share my experience of raising my own kids.”
“I am still searching for the right answer. I want to be honest with my children and make them aware that not everyone has good intentions. But I also don’t want them to live in fear,” she continued.
Her husband of 12 years has been a great support, helping her navigate these difficult conversations. She credits him for knowing when to give in and when to ease her concerns.
“He’s always been there for me,” Smart said of Matthew, whom she met while doing missionary work in Paris. “He’s been a calming presence and a counterbalance to my tendency to overreact.”
The premiere of The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story is on Saturday, June 8, at 8 p.m. on Lifetime, followed by Beyond the Headlines: The Tanya Kach Story With Elizabeth Smart.