A Few Words for Parents about the Death of Osama bin Laden

Many emotions were stirred up in the hearts of Americans last night when the death of Osama bin Laden was reported. Most of us remember where we were when the planes hit the twin towers, the pentagon and the field in Pennsylvania. It still brings tears to my eyes when I hear certain songs or see a picture of ground zero. Understand that news of this death may bring us feelings of triumph and joy, but I urge you to curtail any celebration as your children's eyes are watching you. Most of them have only experienced this tragedy as a historical event and can not possible understand the terror that lived, and in many cases still lives, in the hearts of Americans following that fateful day. The media is going to be reliving many of those early moments following this tragedy in the weeks to come and talking about what may happen in response to his death. I recommend that you sit down and watch these stories with your children and talk about your feelings about these events, and then turn off the T.V. Understanding these events and the emotions that they bring up is important, however being bombarded by it 24/7 is not good for you or your children. Sharing with your children that you are somewhat worried that something may happen is okay. Children are pretty intuitive when it comes to their parents and they probably already sense your fear. Trying to hid it from them may cause them more worry than admitting to it. If you are feeling extremely emotional about these events, talking to a trusted adult or a counselor about these feelings before you talk to your children is a good idea.