Around the age of 4 years, most children begin to ask about death. It surfaces in their play, they say things like, “I’m gonna kill you,” they ask if you are going to die, among other questions and references. Unless they have experienced death at a younger age, this curiosity and sometime seeming obsessiveness are age appropriate and typical. It is a part of growing up. The answers to these questions are hard for all parents. No one wants to create fear or pain for her/his child. But … [Read more...] about Kobe Bryant’s Death: Talking to Kids About Premature Death
Sensitive Topics
“Is Santa Real, Mommy?”
One of the signs (sometimes laced with a bit of sadness) that your child is growing up is when the inevitable question comes, Is Santa real? While it seems so simple, it is one that puts many a parent into a tail spin. What should I say? Should I tell him the truth? Should I lie? Won’t he be so disappointed? What if he accuses me of having lied to him when he finds out the truth? Let me put your mind at ease. You have not been lying to your child if you have allowed Santa … [Read more...] about “Is Santa Real, Mommy?”
Talking to Your Kids About Homelessness…in the Season of Gratitude
I want to feel upbeat today. Thanksgiving is a blink away, and it’s time to conjure up some gratitude. I do have so much for which I am grateful. And believe me, I am front and center in expressing it to whomever will listen. But today it’s hard to feel that way. My day started with article after article in the LA Times about the crisis of homelessness in my city. Then I went for a walk on this fall day in November, and it is too hot for me to be out exercising, 87 degrees. So, I … [Read more...] about Talking to Your Kids About Homelessness…in the Season of Gratitude
Another Tragedy to Talk About.
I hate to have to write this blog. (And yes, I mean the strength of that word HATE.) Another and another and another mass shooting? I am spinning, filled with horror, disgust, and tremendous despondency. I am desperately searching for answers. A parent reached out yesterday, begging for a script for talking with her now high school age children. The majority of my previous blogs about tragic events (and I have written 23 of them, found under the category SAFETY), are directed at … [Read more...] about Another Tragedy to Talk About.
Talking to Your Child About the Synagogue Shooting
How I wish I didn’t have to write about the mass murder of 11 human beings at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. What a burden it is to have to explain to our children something so heinous, something that I cannot explain. I am sick to my stomach. As always, I am being asked, "Should I tell my children? How much should I tell my children? How can I make them feel safe in the world and especially when they go to religious school? How do I answer, 'But why?' How do I explain someone … [Read more...] about Talking to Your Child About the Synagogue Shooting
Tips for Dealing with Scary Current Events with Children
Whether it is the horror of a violent event, an act of terrorism, or a natural disaster, the news of such things can have powerful impact on children of all ages. It can cause tremendous fear and anxiety, or it can just raise some questions. Each child will react differently. But no one goes totally unaffected. In dealing with your child, here are some tips that will help you to help your child process what has happened. First of all, take care of your own feelings. Children take … [Read more...] about Tips for Dealing with Scary Current Events with Children