Downside of shielding kids from tough news

Maybe your kids’ bubble is still holding, but please accept that it won’t hold for much longer. And for parents, “I can’t think of a way to [blank]” is never an excuse not to [blank].

In fact, if it’s so complicated and difficult that you’re stumped by it, that’s your most reliable sign that they need

to be their guide through it. Otherwise the culture you’re protecting them from will become their teacher.

Because this is such a relevant topic right now, parenting blogs runneth over with suggestions for talking to kids about this stuff. I found The Washington Post’s “On Parenting” version clear and accessible: bit.ly/ScaryTalk. Its response to Parkland strikes the right note, too: bit.ly/ImWithAmy.

Don’t stint on the reassurances and perspective: As ridiculously prevalent as U.S. gun violence is relative to other industrialized nations, the likelihood of any of it happening to any individual (especially if your personal risk factors are few) is still extremely low.

Re: Parent: I was the child of parents who didn’t have TVs and tried to keep us sheltered from the world. It gets old fast when you go to school and everyone is working through some huge event and you have to piece it together. You have to deal with the event, figuring out fact from fiction, knowing your parents’ discomfort is so bad they leave you unprepared. At some point, you’re not protecting your children, you’re leaving them exposed and defenseless. I would have preferred to learn about things somewhere other than the playground, but you get your education where you can find it.