Many years ago ( as in 1983), many of us were dealing with this topic - the US invaded Grenada and there was the threat of nuclear war seemed ever-present. Mr. Rogers had 5 days in a row dedicated to talks about nuclear war. It was prompted by the upcoming showing of a TV movie called, “the Day After.” It was a wonderful series and I am still trying to find the YouTube videos. The series was called “Conflict." https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/562320/when-mr-rogers-taught-kids-about-nuclear-destruction <https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/562320/when-mr-rogers-taught-kids-about-nuclear-destruction>
It might be worthwhile to see how Mr.Rogers confronts something he believed we couldn’t entirely shield our little ones from. It is tragic and scary that we are having this conversation, once again. Best, Sara ------ Sara Mattes > On Feb 24, 2022, at 1:07 PM, Joan Kimball <selene...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Thank you, Margit. > > On Thu, Feb 24, 2022, 10:10 AM Margit Griffith <mar...@fplincoln.org > <mailto:mar...@fplincoln.org>> wrote: > Dear Neighbors, > > I was recently asked, "How do I speak to my grandchildren about war?" For a > moment, I had to pause; children and war do not belong in the same sentence. > Sadly, children are all too often among the casualties - of life, of > home/place, of emotional stability - when there is war. But for those who > are far away, how do we help them understand? My answer to this is layered. > > For small children, thinking about war is not in their wheelhouse. There is > no reason to bring their attention to it, to discuss it in front of them, to > have them see the news. Our responsibility as parents and caring adults is > to shield them from this. What they do need is to learn the values of > kindness, caring, sharing, being a good friend. But we know, kids pick-up on > things, especially their parents' emotions - and I love this book... it not > only names what they might be feeling, but also gives them some action to > take... The Breaking News, by Sarah Lynne Reul > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-U3lF5Ei_E > <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-U3lF5Ei_E> (this Youtube video is the > author reading the story) > > With values lessons shared with very young children, there is a foundation to > explain war to slightly older children. War is not kind nor caring. War is > about grabbing, not sharing. War is not about friendship. The values we > raise-up as most important can be compared to the lack of values warring > represents. We can talk about the Nobel Peace Prize and the Peace Corps in > addition to talking slightly about what a child may have heard about what's > happening in the world. > > Children in later middle school ages and above can have a frank discussion > about why the war is taking place. What is being fought over? Why now? Who > are the key players? This is a time to mention your concern about loss of > life, the emotional damage to survivors, the refugees wars produce. Share > your feelings as well as the facts. Naming feelings of concern, frustration, > anger - all the emotions - helps children identify the things they are > feeling... it gives it a name. Knowing how you feel and letting others know > how you feel is a life skill. > > For young children, they should be shielded from the TV. For older children, > if you decide to watch news broadcasts (IF!), it should be limited and > watched with you (for later discussion). At all times and will all children, > parents and caring adults should reassure them they are safe. That you are > there to do everything in your power to keep them safe. If children fixate on > or become truly anxious about what's going on, call your pediatrician. They > are (or should be) wonderful resources for helping you parent on all levels. > They can help you determine if your child's reaction is on an anticipated > spectrum or if there is concern. > > If you have any questions or would like to talk about your concerns, you can > hit the "Ask Margit" button on First Parish in Lincoln's website for > Children, Youth, and Families... > https://www.fplincoln.org/children-youth-and-families/ > <https://www.fplincoln.org/children-youth-and-families/> > > Yours in Care and Compassion, > Margit > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org > <mailto:Lincoln@lincolntalk.org>. > Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/ > <http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/>. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > <https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/>. > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln > <https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln>. > > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >
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