Are your kids worried that the world is ending in 2012?

[funkychunkymonkey]

What would you tell a preschooler? One of mine has a older sibling who saw the movie and she told her sister, who in turn told my class about it so now my kids are asking about the end of the world. I dont know what to tell them

 

[golfgal]

What would you tell a preschooler? One of mine has a older sibling who saw the movie and she told her sister, who in turn told my class about it so now my kids are asking about the end of the world. I dont know what to tell them

Keep it simple tell the child that it is a movie and movies are not real life and give an example like Harry Potter or something that the child knows is not real.

 

[Dancemom03]

DD9 has mentioned it but isn't stressing over it. She has seen the movie but DH is a disaster movie fan so she's used to seeing lots of worst case scenerios portrayed as entertainment and knows this is just another movie. DD20, OTOH doesn't want watch it at all. She takes things much more seriously.

Around here, 2012 has more significance as the next election than it does the end of the world. Just last week, we were joking that the world better not end before we get to the polls...

 

[Becky2005]

Not at all!

Since it's my DD's graduation year & the year she turns 18 -- They have pretty much turned it into a joke that they spent all that time in school and THEN when they are out & are adults, etc..., the world is going to end and that is so going to stink.

I really don't think it's even a blip on their radar.

 

[Guy Incognito]

tell 'em "yes, the world will end on 12/21/12, at 12:21.12 pm; so you better eat lunch early that day"

 

[Becky2005]

tell 'em "yes, the world will end on 12/21/12, at 12:21.12 pm; so you better eat lunch early that day"

I mean really, if the world explodes completely (or whatever it's supposed to do on that day) it's not like there is *anything* you can do about it -- unless maybe we are all supposed to become astronauts really quick and jump into outer space and eventually fuel would run out, so ???

Exactly what are you supposed to do to prepare for the world to end?

Then again, my DH was one who was laughing about the Y2K panic -- he had a good point -- 30 year loans made in 1970+ would have already had to have dealt with the issue since they would have come due in 2000, so things were already in place at banks.

I'm not even sure my younger kids have a clue about 2012, I don't recall it being mentioned at all. All I know is I have to plan a graduation party & it's also my parents 50 wedding anniversary & my mom is already trying to figure out what they want to do for that. Since we have until December, I'm going to assume those parties are still on & I will have to plan them.

 

[Guy Incognito]

tell 'em "yes, the world will end on 12/21/12, at 12:21.12 pm; so you better eat lunch early that day"

oh, and guess you better plan ahead for the possible follow-up question:

"is that Eastern time, Pacific time, or Greenwich mean time?"

 

[golfgal]

oh, and guess you better plan ahead for the possible follow-up question:

"is that Eastern time, Pacific time, or Greenwich mean time?"

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[charming23]

My cousin actually came to me with this question a few weeks ago (he is 11). So since I did not know much about the subject, like what exactly the myth is all about. We look it up online and found that the Myans never said "end of the world" so it made him feel so much better. I did tell my Aunt what we did and she was fine with it and she told me the other day that now when he sees the commercials on tv for the movie he laughs.

I think it is so hard for kids today because so many people are joking around about it in the media. I mean I can think of at least 3 times in the past week were some one joked about the end of the world in 2012.

 

[laurie31]

My calendar ends in December. It just means it's time to get a new one.

About age 8-9 kids become aware of their own mortality, and worry a lot about things like this. Reassure them that their fears are normal, but also that there isn't really anything to worry about.

The only reason DD is worried is because one of her close friends never shuts up about it. Her Grandmother goes to a really small Baptist church out in the country and has her convinced the world is going up in flames in 2012. So the girl goes on and on and on about it to DD.

Mention to her that the Bible tells us that even Jesus doesn't know the day or the hour. Somehow I think if God hasn't clued Jesus in, that no one else is going to be able to figure it out either.

When I was a kid, I worried a lot about what would happen if their was a war. In school, we had those ridiculous drills telling us to "duck and cover". I remember watching a movie on television about an attack. A little boy in the movie looked toward the explosion and was blinded by the flash. It really scared me. I asked my parents what we would do if it happened. They had no real answer other than not to worry about it.

Looking back, it would have been much better if we had just talked about it. Once kids understand the ramifications, even those that are not good, they can better cope with the situation. If kids are worried about 2012, parents should not just dismiss their fears.

OMGOSH! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixy5FBLnh7o

 

[JVL1018]

Well my kids knew nothing about it until I just asked them. Now they're scared

Just kidding about them being scared.
I said have you heard about the world ending in 2012?
Kids(8&10): No. ..What?
My husband: Yup, the world's going to end.
10 year old: How?
My husband: The earth will explode.
me: Will you stop it.
8 year old: That's just dumb. (returns his attention to the Wii)
10 year old: Yeah that doesn't make any sense at all. I'm going outside-I'll see you later..

Apparently mine are not upset even with a dad who tries to scare them. LOL

 

[livie1205]

My dh will not even watch the movie because that is dd4 b day and it freaks him out! lol

 

[ScottOKW2K]

Just had to add, from R.E.M.

That's great it starts with an earthquake
Birds and snakes and aeroplane
And Lenny Bruce is not afraid

Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn
World serves it's own needs, dummy serve your own needs
Feed it off an aux speak grunt no strength,
the ladder start to clatter whit fear fight down height.
Wire in a fire representing seven games and a government for hire in a combat site
Left of west and coming in a hurry with the furies breathing down your neck

Team by team reporters baffled, trumped, tethered, cropped
Look at that low playing, fine, then
Uh-oh overflow, population common food, but it'll do
Save yourself, serve yourself, world serves it's own needs
Listen to your heart bleed dummy with the rapture and the revered and the right, right
Vitreolic, patriotic stand, fight, bright, light
Feeling pretty psyched

It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it
And I feel fine

Six o'clock TV hour, don't get caught in foreign towers
Slash and burn, return, listen to yourself churn
Locking in, uniforming, book-burning, blood-letting
Every motive escalate, automotive incinerate
Light a candle, light a votive, step down step down
Watch your heel, crush, crushed uh-oh this means
No fear cavalier, renegade, steer clear
A tournament, a tournament, a tournament of lies
Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives
And I decline

It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it
And I feel fine

I feel fine

The other night I dreamt of knives, continental drift divide
Mountains sit in a line, Leonard Bernstein
Leonid Brezhnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs
Birthday party, cheescake, jellybean, boom you
Symbiotic patriotic slam book neck
Right? Right!

It's the end of the world as we know it
It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it
And I feel fine

I feel fine

 

[Val]

DS14 is worried after watching the history channel special. His social studies teacher jokingly brought it up and seemed to scare the kids inadvertently. We talked about it...how Grandma was at Pearl Harbor, about earthquakes mom and dad were in when they were little, 9/11....and how scared we were then (DS was in Kindergarten and was watching TV live with me on 9/11 when we both witnessed the second plane- and he got what happened).

He wants to skip homework the night before......wonder how many kids are thinking the same thing. Guess teachers better have that stack of detentions for missed homework ready for the next day!

 

[laurie31]

DS14 is worried after watching the history channel special. His social studies teacher jokingly brought it up and seemed to scare the kids inadvertently. We talked about it...how Grandma was at Pearl Harbor, about earthquakes mom and dad were in when they were little, 9/11....and how scared we were then (DS was in Kindergarten and was watching TV live with me on 9/11 when we both witnessed the second plane- and he got what happened).

He wants to skip homework the night before......wonder how many kids are thinking the same thing. Guess teachers better have that stack of detentions for missed homework ready for the next day!

LOL! Won't school be out for Christmas break anyway?

 

[happygirl]

No, i don't think my kids even know anything about it.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Whenever my kids ask about one of these terror trends I tell them, very sincerely btw, that I've been hearing the world is about to end my whole life and so far it's still here.

 

[5 for WDW]

My 10 year old is the one most concerned about it and has asked questions.

But..I know that is because his birthday is 12/21 so, he is very aware that is the date that has been talked about. We have not watched the movie.

 

[Janet Hill]

My kids kind of think the world ended Friday. I had the cable disconnected to get Direct TV and Direct TV didn't show up. Nothing but a fuzzy screen for us.

 

[Ohiodislover]

LOL! Won't school be out for Christmas break anyway?

No necessarily. My kids Christmas break did not start till Christmas Eve the past 2 years.