First I am going to check out a book about 9-11 from the children's section. Then I will sit down and read it to my kids or tell them about the pictures in an age appropriate manner. I will tell them about that day basically like this: "One morning some bad guys stole planes and crashed them into buildings and killed people because they didn't like America. And some firefighters were trying to help and they died, that is what fire fighters do right? They try to save people. And then America went to war with the country that sent the bad guys to protect us. Heavenly Father tells us it's ok to go to war if we are protecting our families, our lives or our freedoms, and that is what the army does. That is why they are so important and they are heroes, and so are the fire fighters and policemen that helped out the hurt people."
Benjamin is not yet 3 and probably wont get much of what I say, and maybe Glen won't either, but I really want them to know and understand. My hope is that telling my kids about hard things in a place where they feel safe and loved will be easier then keeping it from them until they are older, when some people say they are ready. I think that the earlier kids know about hard stuff and how to cope with it the better they will be bale to cope with hard things when they are older. I think that right now they will cope on one level and next year when thy are a little more matured their understanding of events will have matured, but so will their ability to cope. I also think that there is an answer to every question no matter how small a child is. When Glen asked where babies come from at 3 I didn't give him the birds and the bees talk, I told him Heavenly Father sends them to mommies and daddies. Now that he is older and I am pregnant he understands that babies come from mommies tummy. You get the picture. His understanding now is different then it will be when he is 13, but he still needs to understand at a certain level.
It is important to me that my children are not kept from hard things. Hard things like death, bullies, bad guys, and pain are a part of life. They are a part of life now, not just when my kids are older. So why not bring up the hard stuff in a safe place where they can learn that even though life is hard, home is safe and Heavenly Father will protect them. As in all that I do as a mother I try to follow the spirit and teach them in a way that would please my Father in Heaven. I want them to learn to rely on him in all they do. When grandma's dog died, when Great Grandma died, when friends don't want to play, bad dreams wake them up, in everything I know they can rely on God and I am trying to teach them this, even if it means talking about tough stuff.
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