What did you do to teach about 9/11?

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

I told my 6 and 4 year old boys about it for the first time today. We watched the Brian Pop video (which I thought was very well done and perfect for young children) and we made cards for our local firefighters. (I blogged about it.) We did the basic facts, not a lot of details and no pictures from the actual day yet. I was curious what other people did and used? Please include your children's ages.

[VeteranMom]

My kids have watched documentaries about 9/11.  I told them about my experiences and thoughts about that day and the order that things happened.  I feel that the live reporting of the events is good information (from youtube).  My kids are almost 11, 12, and 12.  I started going into greater detail a couple of years ago.   

[MinivanMom]

I have showed my oldest 2 children (9 and 8) some of the short videos that are online.  They have both seen the actual footage and we actually watched a short documentary last year (I can't remember which one).  We were talking about it this morning in a "Where were you when the planes . . ." sort of way.  We're finishing up a study of American History this year, so we'll cover it again in the spring since it's actually included in the Encyclopedia of American History that we are using as a spine.  It's weird, because it seems like this monumental thing that just happened.  But my children view it as a historical event in the same way I would view Pearl Harbor as a historical event.  Maybe that's a good thing at this point considering their ages. 

[marlowefamily]

My kids were born just after 9/11 -- they know it is important to me and others, but it hasn't really meant anything to them.   Anyhow, I substituted the 2006 movie about flight 93 for 2hrs of academics today.  The kids were hoping throughout that the passengers would find some way to save the plane...they were upset that there was no happy ending.  However, that in itself was part of the lesson.  Some-days, there is no way to win...you will lose, you've been surprised and won't have enough time to recover, the only question is how you handle it, how much grace and inspiration you can pass along, and what you can accomplish before the end.   It's also important that my kids understand that 1) you can minimize how many and how fervent the enemies you have in life are, but you must alway be ready to face them and 2) Mankind when faced with horrible or hugely evil events can cower like sheep, even if that is safe - is it right?  Is there a skill or mindset for being prepared for whatever happens in life and not hiding away from the worst that can happen?

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

My kids were born just after 9/11 -- they know it is important to me and others, but it hasn't really meant anything to them.   Anyhow, I substituted the 2006 movie about flight 93 for 2hrs of academics today.  The kids were hoping throughout that the passengers would find some way to save the plane...they were upset that there was no happy ending.  However, that in itself was part of the lesson.  Some-days, there is no way to win...you will lose, you've been surprised and won't have enough time to recover, the only question is how you handle it, how much grace and inspiration you can pass along, and what you can accomplish before the end.   It's also important that my kids understand that 1) you can minimize how many and how fervent the enemies you have in life are, but you must alway be ready to face them and 2) Mankind when faced with horrible or hugely evil events can cower like sheep, even if that is safe - is it right?  Is there a skill or mindset for being prepared for whatever happens in life and not hiding away from the worst that can happen?

 

Well said!

[Dmmetler]

I have to be honest-I've largely de-emphasized it. DD8 knows that it happened, etc, but she can't handle more than "just the bare facts" at this point-if she gets emotional at all, or if she sees me get emotional, she starts getting very anxious and being afraid of almost everything. It's the same reason why we go in depth in earlier history periods, but moderns have only gotten a brief read-through so far. She simply can't handle it being "too close to home" yet, and anything that really puts a face on the people involved is too close to home.

 

I don't like it-especially not when I see kids her age who are able to do so many more meaningful things-but it's what she can handle right now.

 

 

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

I have to be honest-I've largely de-emphasized it. DD8 knows that it happened, etc, but she can't handle more than "just the bare facts" at this point-if she gets emotional at all, or if she sees me get emotional, she starts getting very anxious and being afraid of almost everything. It's the same reason why we go in depth in earlier history periods, but moderns have only gotten a brief read-through so far. She simply can't handle it being "too close to home" yet, and anything that really puts a face on the people involved is too close to home.

 

I don't like it-especially not when I see kids her age who are able to do so many more meaningful things-but it's what she can handle right now.

 

I've been very careful about what I let the kids see/read/learn about for these reasons. I've been accused of "over sheltering to the point of borderline abuse" by an in-law but I know my kids better than he does. :glare:

 

[*Lulu*]

We've used the Brainpop video as well as having lots and lots of conversations about it.

 

My BIL has been deployed 3x to Iraq and/or Afghanistan, so it has come up leading up to and during each deployment.

[My3girls]

I told the girls mine and their Dad's story for that day.  Then we watched 102 Minutes that Changed America on the History channel.  DD11 had been introduced to this previously, but this was the first dd8 and dd7 had seen anything.

[TraceyS/FL]

Due to the events of the day (court hearing with their Dad that was beyond pivotal in their life, yet htey didn't know how much), we actually didn't get to cover anything on it. They know about it, but my middle one is more sensitive and needs more guidance.

 

I was surprised to see a friend that had her PS K'er have a whole lesson on it - she hadn't gone there yet with her, and they travel a lot (her father A LOT for work), and she really wasn't ready to take on the, "Planes can fly into buildings" aspect. She felt at K it should have been something the parents were notified about beforehand.

It obviously upset her, she came out hours after bed and told them about it :(

My oldest has known since the day it happened - she was 5.5, we were on the west coast so she watched parts of it happen live. I did let her teacher know then she knew - in case it caused problems with her classmates.

I do want to do something with them this year on it... just need to figure it out.

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

Due to the events of the day (court hearing with their Dad that was beyond pivotal in their life, yet htey didn't know how much), we actually didn't get to cover anything on it. They know about it, but my middle one is more sensitive and needs more guidance.

 

I was surprised to see a friend that had her PS K'er have a whole lesson on it - she hadn't gone there yet with her, and they travel a lot (her father A LOT for work), and she really wasn't ready to take on the, "Planes can fly into buildings" aspect. She felt at K it should have been something the parents were notified about beforehand.

 

It obviously upset her, she came out hours after bed and told them about it :(

 

My oldest has known since the day it happened - she was 5.5, we were on the west coast so she watched parts of it happen live. I did let her teacher know then she knew - in case it caused problems with her classmates.

 

I do want to do something with them this year on it... just need to figure it out.

 

Wow, for kindergarten they really should have told the parents ahead of time! Yikes!

[TraceyS/FL]

My DD didn't go to PS K until late January, so I have no idea what they covered in it. I know the school had a garden and I have seen the K'ers make the trip by it on 9/11. I hadn't thought about it as to the age thing since we were past it...

But I agree, they should have been notified.

[Mommy22alyns]

We've read this book with the girls.

 

http://www.amazon.com/America-Is-Under-Attack-September/dp/1596436948/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1379016722&sr=8-2&keywords=when+the+towers+fell

 

 

I'll have to check out the BrainPop video for Rebecca.  Sylvia is probably still too sensitive.

[Farrar]

It first came up for us when we had a vintage math book out from the library when they were in kindy and it had a drawing of the two towers for tallest, I think.  I was a bit surprised so I explained the bare facts of it.  Since then, whenever it has come up, I explain again the facts and offer to discuss it or answer questions.  They have asked questions a couple of times, but nothing big.  I figure we'll look at it more in depth when we do more with current events in a couple of years in middle school.  In general, I think this is how I want to deal with all difficult topics - from dark historical and current events to sex to drugs and addictions and so forth - honest when it comes up, letting explanations happen a little at a time.

[chaya]

my kids kinda grew up always knowing about 9/11. we live not far from NYC and every time we drive by the altered skyline dh and I go on and on about it. so the kids have always known the story, my older ones know more details (like people jumping) than do my little ones but honestly I do not remember ever providing those details. I think its a communal sort of knowledge. we lost many local firefighters and many of our friends were working in the towers that day. so the kids just know.

 

on 9/11 we talk about stories of heroism that occured that day and about how precious life and loved ones are. we also talk about bravery and resiliency. things like that.

 

ages 14-3.

[Staceyshoe]

I was expecting my sensitive son to be very affected by learning the details of 9/11.  I remember that day, and it has a much greater emotional impact on me than it does on him.  From his perspective, it falls into the realm of "before I was born" so isn't much different than learning that people died during the Civil War.  As a general rule, we avoid learning very personal stories about tragic events until he's older.  Learning about x number of people dying at some point in the past is very different from learning about a particular person who was tragically killed--whether it be in a war, from illness, accident, or an act of terrorism.  He's never seen the live footage of people jumping from the towers, but he knows the general story and has seen footage of the towers smoking from afar.  We checked out several picture books from the library about it, and I read them first to make sure they would be OK.  All of them were fine for us, but all kids are different.

[Guest]

I didn't talk to my five year old about it on 9/11/13, but it's come up in the same way WWII and The Great Depression came up when I was his age.

 

I thought it was creepy that my daughter wanted to record the NPR coverage while it was happening, but I'm the one who wound up listening to the cassette tapes and converting them to .mp3. I'm glad we have them and I'll probably play them for little ds when he's older.

 

We didn't have a TV or a computer in '01, but I've downloaded some footage and some tributes for myself and to share with my olders when they were teens.

 

The kid I shared a locker with in school committed suicide after his partner was killed in the twin towers. I grew up in Philly, so I doubt if he was the only childhood friend I lost, but I don't want to find out.