Explaining 9/11 To Children
Steve Tucker, a psychiatrist, told KRDO Newschannel 13 that there is a fine line between saying too much and not saying enough when it comes to explaining the significance of the events that took place on Sept. 11.
Tucker is the director of outpatient behavioral health program at Penrose-St. Francis. He said it is important to let kids with lead with the questions, adding that it is important for parents to be open and honest with their kids.
?I think that most of the time parents have the sense, knowing their kids enough to know how to answer these kinds of tricky questions and they really have to follow their instincts,? said Tucker.
Tucker said kids are especially responsive to stories and play, saying these are effective manners to explain scenarios and concepts to children.
?Get down on the floor and play with blocks, legos and those kinds of things. Through that, explain what happened, that there are people that see things differently through the world and choose to take violent actions,? said Tucker.
Tucker tells KRDO Newschannel 13 that going into extensive detail is not necessary and also said that exposing children to graphic images is also not the best idea.
?For younger kids, that is information that they don?t need to have. They can?t process it very well. So, some censoring would be appropriate there,? Tucker said.
Tucker explained that kids between the ages of 8 and 10 begin to understand the concept of death while older children can begin to comprehend war and it?s repercussions.
When presented with the issues, children will most likely be concerned about their own safety, Tucker said.
?Could it happen again, am I in danger as a kid. It?s the worry about themselves that will be the most difficult question to answer,? said Tucker.
He said that when kids begin to express fear, it is best for parents to acknowledge the fear rather than try to ?fix the fear.?
?What that does is really acknowledge the fact that ?I?m afraid and this adult is acknowledging that I?m afraid. They?re not saying that my fear isn?t real, but they?re also not saying that I?m stupid for feeling this way,’? said Tucker.
When answering the question of whether of not we are safe, Tucker advices parents to say something like ?Everything is being done to protect all of us in the United States. Nothing has really happened in 10 years. Something could happen, but with our family we?ll be as careful as we can and we?ll be safe.?
Tucker said if the child expresses fear that does not subside and is beginning to interfere with the child?s daily routines to seek professional counseling.
