Thanks. Forgot to mention getting people pills or therapists every time something negative happened. Growing up in the fifties and sixties, we coped with schoolmate deaths, family deaths, pet deaths, fires, crimes and a whole lot else by gutting it up. It never occurred to us to need professional talkers. We talked to each other, to our parents, to our religious leaders, to God. My philosophy is try to work it out using those resources before resorting to strangers with unknown philosophies and values.
We had Cuban missile crisis fears, polio fears, endless assassinations of political leaders, a hated war, and yes, schoolmate deaths. I remember one by leukemia and another by drowning. No therapists were brought to the schools. The desks were cleared out as we sat there watching silently. We either sucked it up or talked to our parents, as you said. Or, a priest would come in a quietly lead and prayer. And that was very comforting, indeed!