This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of the attacks on September 11. I vividly recall that day, during my second week of college.... gathered with my roommates, glued to the TV. I could tell you what I was wearing that morning, what class I was in, the day of the week, etc. (This is something we refer to as a 'flashbulb memory').
This article offers suggestions to parents on how to address the topic of 9/11 with their children. Please read through and consider how you feel about the psychologist's opinions. Then, briefly answer the following questions in your reply post: Do you agree or disagree with the author? Is there anything else you think parents should do? How do you think schools should handle the sensitive topic of 9/11? Do you feel that we, as a country, adequately commemorate this day? Should we be doing anything different?
One thing that has upset me recently regarding the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 was the fact that the First Responders who were there that day, risking their lives to save people who were in the buildings, are not allowed to the ceremony at Ground Zero. It was said that there wasn't enough room for them. There was a Facebook chain status going around that I thought rang so true; the Responders weren't 'invited' on that day in 2001 either. They showed because they knew they were needed; because lives needed to be saved. I feel that a ceremony is appropriate on this day, as it allows the entire country time to commemorate the tragedy of this day and the lives lost. However, we should also honor the people who risked their lives.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I agree with the author and her tips for parents who have children surrounded by all of this news coverage. I think it's important to let children ask any questions they might have (within reason), as long as you only give them the specific answer, and nothing more. If they don't want to know, you shouldn't feel compelled to tell them. If they do, they would ask. I feel like the schools should also acknowledge 9/11 with a small service, a video before classes start, but something that doesn't take away from the whole day. Some children are particularly sensitive about the day, and if every class is talking about it, it might be a little too upsetting. If children want to talk about it or ask any questions that they might have, then they should be allowed to. What should be emphasized, as the author of this article mentioned, is how this tragedy did bring the country closer together; it united people in a new way. Commemorating 9/11 could serve as an example of our country's strength.
9/11 was a tragic day for every American whether you lost a loved one or not. Commemorating 9/11 will allow people to forget their career-driven lives for just a day and remember those who lost loved ones and those who risked their lives.
ReplyDeleteAs Regan stated before on Facebook there was a chain status that stated that the Responders weren't invited on that day, they came because there were lives that needed to be saved and a job that needed to be done. They deserve to be honored and remembered.
Posting on the 10th anniversary today and recalling that one specific day and hearing how both of my parents had watched this tragic event from their office windows, this topic is a little sensitive to me. Yet looking back on how my parents handled this event, it is similar to what the author states. And here I am today honoring those who have been lost and not suffering from the anxiety of what may happen next to our country.
ReplyDeleteLike Regan said, I agree with letting a child question and wonder about this event, not ignoring it since a child will soon learn about it through the news and school. Yet on the other hand, I do not think a parent should limit their response to a child or unacknowledged all questions a child may have. If it is inappropriate to ask then a parent must say so.
My last point is agreeing with Regan once again in the respect that schools should honor this event as an entire community, but not carry out discussions in every class. This is a sensitive topic and so schools must sympathize with those who are still hurt by this tragic event.
I agree with the author, Regan, and Gaby: children deserve answers to their questions, but parents should use discretion when deciding how to answer. A child doesn't need to know every gruesome and tragic detail. A simple answer specific to the child's question should suffice.
ReplyDeleteI think public schools should honor the anniversary with respectful moments of silence and reverence. I think that Catholic or Christian schools should commemorate this tragedy with prayer services.
I think that this country's major means of commemorating 9/11 is through media coverage: programs, specials, films, etc. One specific memorial caught my attention: 2,819 south-facing chairs in Bryant Park, each representing a life lost on 9/11. One thing that could be done differently, as Regan said, would be the level of appreciation the emergency responders receive. They weren't invited to the memorial service, but they didn't hesitate when they knew people needed to be saved.
Last night I was in the city and the entire time I could not stop thinking about the attack in the back of my head. I remember how I walked down my grammar school hallway just to use the bathroom to see it on the TV in the office. No one had told the younger children in my school about what happened, but that is how I first had an idea of what was happening. I agree with what the author said and what you all have commented already how children have the right to know and ask questions. I believe that a child should not be sheltered from things especially a tragedy like this. My parents never hid anything from me and whenever I asked them a question I was told the answer directly. Society should be like this with children as well. I am not saying to throw the information at them and have them handle it themselves but not to hide anything either. People may argue that some children may not have the maturity level as others therefore cannot handle it; however, parents should then be open with their children from the time they are a young age.
ReplyDeletePublic schools and Catholic schools should honor the anniversary of September 11 by some type of memorial. I agree with Gaby that this is a sensitive topic but I personally feel that in classes especially a History course the teacher should touch upon this subject. This whole week I have been watching documentaries about September 11. I certainly cannot imagine what it must feel like to have someone I knew be killed in the event. However, think of the Holocaust; it is a part of history that should never be forgotten. There are documentaries, movies, and books made on this tragic event. Every time the Jewish people and even non Jewish people watch the shows it makes them feel that they are living through the event.
As for the First Responders it is a shame that they were not invited to the memorial service for all they did. I am an EMT for the soul enjoyment I have to save lives of people. Megan's last sentence is very powerful; our only reason to do this job is to save people.
I agree with what everyone has said, and I especially agree with Regan about the First Responders. While our country has demonstrated an outpouring of love and reverence towards those who died and those who lost loved ones, I think that those who survived the attack, and those who have to live with the pain everyday - both physical and emotional - have not received this same love and reverence that they deserve.
ReplyDeleteLast night, on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I watched a documentary on Showtime called Rebirth, which chronicled the lives of 5 people who were deeply affected by the tragedy from the time of the attack until now. It provided great insight into the attack for me, as I was only in second grade when it happened, and I found it incredibly beneficial to be able to see not only the devastation of the attacks, but how life carried on for those affected afterwards. I think that children are inevitably going to hear about the attacks, and that most likely the parts that they will hear will be regarding the devastation and tragedy. Therefore I think that it is necessary for parents to expose their children somewhat - rather than futilely trying to shelter them completely - so that they can comprehend and appreciate the hope and unity that resulted from the attacks, not only the tragedy. I also personally feel strengthened and motivated as an American and a resident of the Tri-State area because of the fortitude that both our area and the country as a whole has displayed since that day, and I feel that children should be able to experience that as well.
I also agree with Regan and Gaby that the situation should be handled with care and discretion in school because of children who might be especially sensitive about the topic, but I also think that it would be a disservice to not talk about it at all, and I think that every school should find some way to commemorate 9/11 and pay tribute to all those who risked their lives, lost their lives, and lost their loved ones.
Though we were all just beginning our second grade year, I can recall what classroom I was in, the teacher who walked into our classroom, and wondering why everyone in my class was being taken out early by their parents. While reading the article I kept saying to myself, "hey, we were those little kids."
ReplyDeleteI believe that the way my mom and dad handled the terrorist attacks that day was very appropriate. I came out of school and immediately asked my mom what was going on. My mom was very upfront and then assured me that we would be okay.
I feel like the media and parents should take the same approach. Shielding younger children from every bad thing that happens will end up causing more stress and trauma for them when they find out the truth, not to mention the feelings they'll have that their parents were lying to them.
I guess I'm sort of biased for this approach since it's the way I was brought up. However, I can't help but think that if we begin to shield younger children of past events that happened in our history, what else will we shield them from?
Afterall, we were those little children questioning why our classmates were leaving early on 9/11/01 and we turned out okay.
Yesterday was such a solemn and reflective day. I'm sure like many of us, I watched countless specials and news programs honoring and remembering those we lost in the attacks. Although a lot of programs focused on the families celebrating and remembering their lost loved ones for who they once were, some of the programs were just really graphic and at times too hard to watch. I feel as though children need to be taught about what happened on September 11th, in a way that is appropriate for their age and understanding. I remember being in my grade school class, watching all my teachers flustered and sad and just so confused. When my parents picked me up from school and brought me back to my house that was now filled with family members who lived in the city, they calmly explained to me that something bad had happened but in a way that I don't remember being stressed and traumatized. I agree with Dr. David Walsh that children need to be educated in 9/11 but in a way as to not traumatize them. I think it's hard for school to really educate kids about 9/11 in a time so close to when the attacks occurred. Some people may not have a really emotional outlook on the events and some people may become immediately distraught and it's hard to gauge and accommodate all personality types. I think that schools should definitely acknowledge 9/11 and as a school body share in some kind of way to remember the lost lives, but I don't think that schools should show graphic videos or spend days discussing the events that everyone is aware of. I think that our country commemorates the date every year with shared feelings of respect and sadness as a whole. The news media has a different job and I think that we all know that the media tends to draw things out. The media showed a lot of graphic images and video and a lot of things that could upset people but as a whole, I feel that as a country we do our best to honor the lives lost.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I do think that we, as a country, adequately commemorate this day. However I also agree with Regan in the fact that the First Responders have as much of a right to attend the various ceremonies as the families of lost loved ones and survivors do. The Responders were an extremely important part of that day, and they all deserve the right to be appreciated.
ReplyDeleteGoing off of what Meghan said, in schools I agree that moments of silence and prayer should be included throughout the day as a remembrance of 9/11. I wouldn't suggest this happen in every class as some children may be more sensitive or impacted by the issue than others, but that this would happen at key moments throughout the day, such as when the plane hit the towers, or other critical events like that.
I definitely agree with the ideas the author had at properly addressing this issue with children as well. I think that if or when a child asks about 9/11, it's the parent's job to describe the event in as much detail as they think the child can handle, based on their maturity level or age. Whether at school or at home, I'm sure children will most likely be exposed to potentially graphic pictures of the event, and I agree with the author that the media should do its best to state whether or not an image or video clip they intend to air has the potential of being too graphic for very young children or for sensitive adults. Overall, I think the media as well as local communities in general truly commemorate 9/11 in a positive, hopeful light in the way that they encourage unity through their various ceremonies.
While reading this article I found things that I agreed and disagreed with. One thing I disagreed with was that he was saying that most children weren’t affected by the events of 9/11. I think this is completely wrong because even though a child didn’t lose someone they loved they were still affected. For example, my family would always take me into the city and I use to love to watch the skyline as we would drive across the George Washington Bridge, and the Twin Towers were my favorite buildings because it was above all the others, looking back I can call it a form of inspiration. The events of 9/11 are tragic to everyone in this country and I agree with Meghan’s idea of how schools should handle the topic. In fact I was surprised that IHA didn’t hold a prayer service or something more than a video on WIHA. Parents should make sure to sit down and have a conversation with their children about 9/11 answer their questions, and assure them that they have nothing to worry about. Also, like Regan said about the facebook chain, I thought that was absolutely horrible and 10 years ago on that day the first responders weren’t “invited” to respond they just did therefore they should have been honored in the ceremony in some way.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with the author of the article in when he states that different ages of children handle the situation differently. I was lucky enough not to be directly effected by 9/11 but the emotions i felt after the tragedy might lead others to believe differently. I would be terrified of going into malls because i was scared that since there were so many people there a terrorist would want to bomb that next. I also hated when my dad would work late, my immediate reaction was that he was dead. As crazy as this may seem now, 9/11 really did traumatize me. Not having been directly related to the event and still have anxiety over it should be a warning to children today. If children where lucky enough not to remember the event i dont think it is right to have them watch it over and over on the television when the anniversary comes around. But, I also do not think it is right to keep them ignorant to history. they should learn about the subject in a mature way, not having to show or tell all the graphic details. September 11th is now a part of our country's history and i do feel it should be taught in schools. This is a way to keep the memories of the lives lost alive while also educating them on the issue. I do think enough is done to commemorate the victims. It has been 10 years and at this point i feel everyone has their own individual way of commemorating this day- a way that suits their family and their situation best.
ReplyDeleteI think that every kid handles a situation differently. I know that for me, on September 11th 2001, when I was picked up early from school, my dad didn't explain anything to me other than the fact that something bad had happened. I didn't know what happened until I was watching the news that night with my parents and saw the videos of the planes flying into the buildings. I don't remember what my exact reaction was but I do remember asking "why would someone do that?" Up until about 8th grade, I didn't think much about 9/11 and everything that had happened. I do agree with the author on how parents should approach 9/11 with their children. If parents cannot cope with their emotions, they probably won't be able to accurately help their child process their feelings. I think that schools should approach the topic gently because because some children might have been more affected than others. As a country, I feel that we adequately commemorate this day by having memorials dedicated to those who died. Although, like Regan said, this year First Responders were not invited to the memorial at ground zero, which is wrong considering they saved many lives while putting their lives at risk.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author and his ideas that we need to be sensitive towards what children are told about 9/11. I remember getting picked up from school around lunch time and having no idea what was happening. My dad never picked us up early from school and that day he did. I personally didn't lose a family member or loved one in the attacks, but my mom was supposed to be working at the trade center that day, she finished her work earlier that week so she, thankfully, wasn't there.She was however in the city and terrified, she borrowed someone's computer and emailed my sister saying she loved us and that she didn't know what was going to happen. My dad lost several friends who were working in the tower. And my friend Katherine lost her father, who was a first responder that died saving others. The whole school gathered for his funeral to remember and honor him. My parents were very straightforward about telling me what happened. But they also kept it to a level that I could understand, they put an emphasis on everything was going to be okay.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the several people that think we should commemorate this important event in history by moments of silence or prayers. There I think we should also honor those who risked their lives as well as those who died, or lost someone in the attacks.
9/11 is a very sensitive subject, so I don't think it will be the easiest thing to teach in classes.
I think the media was in some ways very graphic, but it was still very important for the country to see, to remember.
While I was upset to hear about the First Responders, as Regan was, I still think that we as a country, through all of the media and memorials, commemorated this day with a sense of hope, and community, not just grief.
I tend to agree with the author's idea that we need to censor what the children see and even though they need to know about this horrible event, they don't need to be aware of every minute detail. I remember on that day talking to my mom about "why all the bad people did it" and she tried to explain it to me in the best way she knew. I feel that is what we have to do with the children who weren't alive on that awful day. We need to be able to answer their questions without showing them blindly every video clip and every news article with the hard facts, when it could possibly scar them for life.
ReplyDeleteI also feel that we as a country have successfully commemorated this event with some minor faults. I know specifically, there was the controversy that this year the first responders were not invited to the 10th anniversary disappoints me. I remember reading recently something along the lines of, they weren't invited on this day in 2001 either, but they came anyway. I feel that even if there wasn't enough room, they should have made room. The amount of people the first responders saved was huge and they should have had priority over the government officials that were there. I know personally, my uncle is the chief of police for New York City and he was one of the first people to hear about it that day. He had to send out his men, some of whom never came back. He was especially upset that America could not show the respect these first responders had earned for themselves.
I vividly remember 9/11. I walked into my second grade class and heard one of my friends say that bad people had flown an airplane into the twin towers. I can honestly say that i did not know what purpose the twin towers had served regarding the jobs of its workers; the only thing i was aware of was that the towers were in New York City, a place so close to my own home. I then recall walking through my front door and seeing my mother watching the tv which was showing brutal images of the all the rubble and injuries. However, my mother stepped away from the tv to give me a hug and ask me how my day at school was. She was sheltering me in the best way that she knew how. Even after i learned all the details of that day, i remembered the feeling of safety and security given to me by my mother when i came home from school. I think that that security is vitally important to show children this tenth anniversary of 9/11. I agree with the author that seeing those violent images can cause needless stress and anxiety on children. I personally was a very anxious child and i worried about everything, to the point where my mother took me to a psychologist. I think that if i had been exposed to all of the footage from 9/11 it would have greatly affected me which is why i am grateful that my parents censured it. I am not saying that children should not know what happened. I think they should talk about it with their family members and classmates to decipher what had happened. I think it is important for them to be in a group setting because in that case there would be people around them to reassure them that they were safe and secure, like my family had done for me. I think we as a country do adequately commemorate this day.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with some of the things that this author said. He did have some valid points. Parents do have to sensor what children watch, especially since the news can be pretty graphic and to a young person, it can all be really confusing and scary. I remember on September 11th, 2001, my mom would not let me watch TV, since every channel was broadcasting the news. I was confused, but at least I was not scared. Later, she sat my brother and me down and explained to us what happened, and in a way, it was less scary. The part that made it scary was when I went to school, kids who had learnt more about the event would talk about what they heard, whether it was actually true or not. I think parents should be sure to give their kids valid facts because sometimes not everything on the news is true. A lot of it is just speculation and for older children, we understand what is true and what is not, but a young child may not be able to make the distinction. Schools should allow discussion, because it definitely is important to encourage that with such an important event that is effecting so many people's lives but teachers and administration have to try to stop and rumors from occurring. I think, as always, our country tries to do their best to remember such an important date in our history, but sometimes what they do is not enough. We should have taken more time to thank all the police officers and firemen that were involved on September 11th. Without them, there probably would have been more lives lost, and the impact of the day probably would have been much greater.
ReplyDeleteAs Mrs. Wren and a few of my fellow classmates have said about their personnel accounts of 9/11, I can think back to that day like it was yesterday. My teacher had made my class sit in the hallway with no explanation. From left to right, students were leaving school in a hurry. I remember teacher’s saying to each other “Another plane hit…” but being so young I did not understand what that could possibly mean. Today, I look back to that day and can’t believe I could be so naïve to what was happening. I feel that if I knew more from that day about the attack I would have greater understanding of everything going on but at the same time I think that my guardian’s told me in detail everything that went on that I would have had trauma from the thousands of deaths.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author’s point that children should be protected in a sense from the realities of the attack because as studies have shown they could inherit “post traumatic stress disorders” from worrying about themselves and their countries. In similarity to Regan’s comment, I agree that children should have the right to question what happened that day but to the certain point that the information should not create problems in the child’s life. I also agree that schools should take time on the day of 9/11 to honor and remember those who lost their lives, while also explaining to children what had happened. As a country, I think that we did a good job commemorating this day by giving ways in a solid form that we can remember those who had died. In agreement with my other classmates, the responders should have been allowed to come to the ceremony because they put their lives on the line to save others. I think that we should have handled some things differently concerning the death of Osama Bin Laden; even though he was the cause of the attacks on 9/11 I feel that we should not have celebrated his death because in the long run two wrongs do not make a right.
After reading this article I agree with the author that children don't necessarily need to be exposed to the stress of discussing the events of 9/11 however, I think it is important that parents somehow discuss what happened. I specifically remember when it actually happened, we were not allowed to discuss it at school and as a result the next day everyone was talking about what happened but being that we were all children nobody fully understood what happened and the school and teachers offered no clarification, they just dismissed the topic. I think it's important that parents somehow explain what happened-they don't need to go into detail or share what they find unnecessary but they should make sure their child understand what happened based on facts not speculation. Today, if schools don't want to discuss the events, especially if it's an elementary school, it's understandable since it happened 10 years ago, however every school should do something to commemorate what happened. And as everyone previously stated, in terms of the country doing something different, they should have allowed the responders to attend the ceremony because their lives were put in danger during the attacks and they should be honored as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the points that Dr. Walsh addresses in his article. No matter how significant, every event that occurs within the course of our lives has an effect on us. The terrorist attack on 9/11 succeeded in what it aimed to do: terrorize our nation. Not only did the attack instill fear and suspicion within our country's leaders and adults, but it also had a lasting effect on psyche of those who were children at the time. Children, whose brains were not necessarily mature enough to grasp the heavy concept of what happened on September 11th, are left to cope with the ramifications of that day. Because I was only in second grade at the time of the attack, I did not originally have a true sense of the gravity of the situation. As I grew up, I was able to understand and recognize how catastrophic the effects of the event had on world around me. As the ten year anniversary approached I can imagine how torn parents felt when trying to discern whether or not they should tell their small children certain details of 9/11. I think the steps that Dr. Walsh advised parents to exercise could not have been better. There is no way an individual can adequately help another, child or adult, if they do not understand themselves and how they were affected by the attacks on 9/11. I think that by encouraging children to ask questions was a good point to make in that it demonstrates to a child that it was not something that they should grow up in fear of. It is a natural human quality to fear what we do not know or understand fully. I like how Dr. Walsh addresses this issue with parents. Depending on the age of the school children, I think that the commemoration of September 11th should be handled in a variety of ways. Administrators and teachers of course would be fully aware of the different affects that 9/11 had on the wide-range of children that they are responsible for. I think that it is up the discretion of each school and student body to enforce the notion that it is okay to be upset and to expresses loss and pain on the anniversary of the terrorist attack; however, if the effect that 9/11 had on an individual's family was one where a person would not be able to conduct themselves properly in a school-type setting then they should be encouraged to stay home and spend the day with their family. I do feel that we, as a country, have adequately commemorated the tenth anniversary of September 11th. I am not a person who was directly affected by the event, but I do find it is difficult for others to move on when every single year for the past ten years the news and media personnel have made their broadcasts on that date all about 9/11. I can only imagine how difficult it is for those who experienced loss that morning to live their lives every single day. Some people are stronger than others where 9/11 serves as a reminder of a person who made a difference in their lives. The United States, specifically our tri-state area, cannot be generalized by the media to be strong enough to deal with the wound of September 11th annually re-opened. I hope now that ten years have passed, the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001 will not be amplified in the years to come.
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