9/11 Commemoration

So with all the advertisements for shows about 9/11, the news items about it and the gratitude baskets my kids are making at school for the local firefighters/police/ambulance companies, how do you explain 9/11 to a 6 year old if they ask?

 

I've been contemplating this myself. I have a hard time talking about 9/11 to anyone. I lost a dear friend that day and each time I try to talk about it I just get teary. I 'm not sure how to explain it to my boys .. I don't want to scare them .. but I also want them to know that there are so many people that were and still are affected by what happened that day. I lost a friend .. but her family lost so much more.
I'm just not sure how to approach the subject with them ..

 

Nickelodeon just had a 30 minute show on it that explains it to kids. We DVR'd it and plan to watch it tonight or tomorrow night and see what it says. If it's appropriate, we'll show the kids. I'm not sure how to discuss it with the kids to be honest.

 

I can't explain it to myself, I don't know how I'd explain it to kids. Mine being 10 have been aware of it for quite a while, kind of like I was aware of what was going on in Vietnam back then. Did I understand it? NO, but I listened to what grown ups said and took it all in.


For me personally its hard for me to explain what happened on 9/11/2001, because today is the 10th anniversary of the death of my grandmother, last week was the 10th anniversary of her sister's death, and Sat would be Gram's 112th birthday. Our family was in the midst of our own tremendous grief, as we watched what was going on on our TV.

 

I guess it is different for us living so close to NYC. It isn't something I have to explain to the boys, it is something they grew up with. Just like when we drive past the twin towers site and point out what that is where the attacks took place. They don't know about the politics, just that some people who didn't like the USA decided to attack us and flew planes into the buildings and a lot of people died. On Sunday, they will participate in at least one memorial service if not 2.

 

Our school system sent us to this link about talking to kids about 9/11:

http://www.apsva.us/cms/lib2/VA01000586/Centricity/Domain/147/TalkingToChildren%20re%209-11.pdf

Much peace,

Meg

 

My 3yo saw a clip of the towers falling and got really upset and asked 'what happened to Kansas City?'....she doesnt understand the difference between Kansas City (near where we live) and NYC, but she was really upset-I had no idea what to say to her. I just told her that wasnt Kansas City and that it was in NYC and that the two towers were hit by airplanes a long time ago and they fell down. What else can you tell a 3yo. Weirdly, my 7yo was standing right there and asked nothing while I was explaining this.

 

Abby's been asking since I've been watching some of the shows on TLC and Discovery channel...I phrased it this way tonight:

"10 years ago before you were born some bad people stole airplanes and flew them into a building and a lot of people died" - she seemed to accept that and then asked me if the people had to say they were sorry - ah the mind of a child...

 

I let the kids watch the coverage today. All 3 girls were glues to the tv. I let them watch the footage of the planes crashing as well as the towers collapsing. They had many questions, which I answered honestly. Peyton, of course, had to be given more simpler explanations since she is only 6. I told her "10 years ago, very bad people who didn't like our country, decided to steal planes and crash them into the twins towers (and the pentagon, as well as shanksfield, PA crash) in order to kill people and that thousands of people died that day. And that as Americans we needed to remember all the people who died and those who gave their lives to try and rescue others". I also let the kids watch the 'footage' of when Bin Laden was caught and killed. We talked about the Navy Seals and how brave they were to give their life to try and capture him, and all the brave troops in our Armed Forces who give their lives everyday so we can be free. It did not scare them, and being open and honest about the events helped them to understand.