This past weekend has been very difficult, to witness the devastation and loss in Japan. It has been heart-wrenching but a good reminder of how precious life is and how much we need to make the most of the time we have.
I was listening to a caller on a radio station who was expressing his thoughts on how much exposure our children should receive with catastrophes such as this. Some parents feel children should be sheltered from these horrors but other parents such as the caller, believe that children need to face reality.
I tend to lean more toward exposing our children to the reality. On September 11, 2001, I was homeschooling my children at the time. My oldest son was in 3rd grade. He witnessed the news coverage of the planes that went into the World Trade Center. To this day he can still recall images from it.
But honestly, I prefer my children to see these realities. I think especially since my boys in particular enjoy playing video games, it can become a tool that desensitizes children to harsh realities. I want them to understand that bad things happen in this world. I want them to be aware and I also want them to be prepared.
Now that my children are teenagers, I feel it’s especially important they understand what these tragedies mean. I don’t want them to go about their own little world, not having a care or concern about others who are suffering.
So over the course of the weekend I have shown them pictures and news footage of the devastation. I want them to more than just “hear” about the tragedy in Japan, I want them to witness it with their own eyes. I want them to feel sadness over it.
We have also talked about what we would do as a family, should a natural disaster strike closer to home. Times are uncertain and I want to have somewhat of a plan in place. What should you do when there is a tornado? Where should you go if there is an earthquake? Granted, we live in Wisconsin but it wasn’t that long ago when Illinois felt the earth move.
The exposure in my opinion is about getting a dose of reality, developing empathy and planning for the possibility of us facing a disaster. I believe in keeping it real and that means exposing both the good and bad in life.
How have you handled this tragedy in Japan with your children?
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