Talking with kids about bad news…including 9/11

Hard to believe it's already been 10 years

The day that I was running my mouth off with my mom in the car, while my 5-year-old was, apparently, intently listening to NPR and exclaimed “CHOPPING OFF HEADS?!?! No one does that!”….is the day I realized that my children are always listening. Even when they are ignoring me. So for my current post on the fabulous DC Moms web site, I wrote about how to talk to kids about bad news, I researched when they are old enough to really understand certain concepts and what is an age-appropriate subject. I also found a new American Psychological Association report out about how to talk to young children specifically about 9/11. Coincidentally, over the last few days women are sparring on a local listserv where I live about whether 7 and 8-year-olds should be taught about 9/11 if they haven’t asked, and if the new display at the Newseum is appropriate for them. I’m not going to take a side on whether you should proactively tell a 7-year-old about 9/11 but I did the legwork to find out what the experts suggest you do. Enjoy the post, and please comment if you feel compelled.

One Response to Talking with kids about bad news…including 9/11
  1. Kristen
    September 7, 2011 | 5:51 pm

    This is perfect! My husband and I literally had this conversation last night – about whether we would proactively talk with our 7 year old about 9-11. We decided we should but we didn’t know how to tackle it! Thanks!

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