9/11 What do you tell a 9 year old?

[freeflir29 0]

OK...so I was just putting my kid to bed and during our conversation I figured out that he had NO clue what "9/11" was. No idea who Osama Bin Laden was. Am I nuts for thinking that a 9 year old boy should damn well know what happened on 9/11 and should know that evil people like OBL exist in the world? Or should I let him continue to live in the "kid" world that's mostly nice for as long as possible. My personal feeling is that he should at least have SOME idea of the evil that stalks this world. He doesn't need gross details but a general idea is good. I feel he should know because he is 9 and in 9 more years he'll be of military age. I think he needs the facts to make his own decisions. I don't want him growing up in a left wing fantasy world where if you can just be nice enough to people and not bother them they won't bother you. Opinions? Damn this parenting stuff is tough some days!

[killler 2]

As a father of three grown kids... 17,19 and 21 the thing is to answer only what they ask.... Keep it simple and to the point.... And make sure he knows that he's safe and loved and not in any danger...
Children need to know things , But their minds are not like ours.... I remember my kids asking something and after a few words out of my mouth they'd say...OH... and walk away....Let them be little as long as you can... They grow so fast.....

Killer....

[Michele 1]

Clay, I'm not a parent, so take this for what it's worth. Killler is correct - let him be a child for as long as possible.

You pointed out that a 9 year old will, in 9 more years, be of military age. But Clay, that's twice as long as he's been on the planet. When you're 60 (using round numbers, all right? ), you will have learned a ton just by being here on the planet for twice as long as you have been now.

Evil will make itself known when he becomes aware of it. Then - when he asks about it directly - you've got your opening to let him know how YOU feel. He may feel differently; but if you give him enough accurate information, whatever opinion he forms will be done with that information being considered.

My Dad and I were talking over Christmas with my brother. Both my brother and I are republican, he more conservative than I. Both our parents are liberal democrats. Dad asked "where did I go wrong," and I told him he didn't go wrong at all...he gave us enough loving and parenting and education and space to form our own opinions about things, which is the best parenting that can be done. Dad got what I was trying to say, and that is simply Dad raised us to be able to make up our own minds.

Your son will grow up in his time. He will ask, he will discover, and he will learn. And the best that you can do is to let him do so in his own time.

Again, I'm not a parent, but I have great ones. And I think they would have let me come to them with my questions, unless it directly affected me.

Best of luck...and I think you're probably a better parent than you give yourself credit for.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[Faber 0]

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I'm not a parent, so take this for what it's worth. Killler is correct - let him be a child for as long as possible.

that is werry wise words.
our kids become "adults" too fast in this world,let them play and have fun,they will ask what 911 and whos bin laden is by time,then you should tell it as it is.Let the kids deside when to get that kind of info.

Anyway im sure they teach about 911at some time in shool aswell.

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[BIGUN 1,500]

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Dad asked "where did I go wrong?"

I would have replied, "That's a very good question, Dad. A better one might have been; Where did your parents go wrong?"

I drove my parents insane.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[PhillyKev 0]

I remember having overwhelming (and now recognized as slightly irrational) fear of nuclear holocaust when I was a kid and started understanding it.

My childless opinion is, let him stay a kid as long as he can.

[JoeyRamone 0]

My kids are 3,5,6 and 11. I do not hide anything from them, you can not in the society we live in today.

It sure sucks telling all my kids about what a child molster is, what they will do to you and so on, you do not need to get into specifics but i do not hide anything from my kids.

[PhillyKev 0]

I don't think anyone said anything about hiding it. My parents didn't hide anything from me. But they didn't make it a point to cover certain topics.

[JoeyRamone 0]

I do talk about all current events, the war, 911, the tsumani, etc. Now the amount of detail i go into is different for each child, they can only process so much information.

[freeflir29 0]

Thanks for the words. With a bit more time to ponder it I have decided to kinda let it go for now. I gave him the very basic info. It did kinda scared me when he thought about it and said "That happened 3 years ago? I have been flying here for that long." Luckily I have an inside track on this one. He knows I am a "Policeman on airplanes." SO I think he took my word for it when I told him he is perfectly safe flying. I almost panicked when he started to show fear of flying.