When is OK to tell kids about world horrors like Haiti's earthquake?
When the news about Haiti's devastating earthquake was contained on my laptop -- through online reports, Flickr pictures and Twitter feeds it was easy to shield my daughter. But by Wednesday the horrific pictures of despair, destruction and death were plastered on the TV, and I couldn't turn it off.
Last night, the hubby and I were parked on the sofa watching news reports from Haiti. We talked in hushed tones about what was going on and what we could do when the 3-year-old bopped over and asked in a pitched voice: "What's Going On?"
So we talked about the earth shaking. About how mommies and daddies, grandmas and grandpas and little girls and boys are hurt. All of that information was met with silence.
Had we said too much?
Then I said that we were going to send money to help with the rescue efforts (she knows all about rescue efforts because we're a few blocks down from a fire station and with each siren's wail I'm peppered with questions about who's in trouble, what will the rescuers do, what happened).
My husband asked how much she wanted to give. She said: six monies.
So I went online and donated money to Red Cross' international response fund.
How are you explaining the fallout from Haiti's earthquake to your children? What has been their reaction?
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