Greater DC area DISers - What are you telling your children about the shootings?

[mom2boys]

I have tried to discuss it with my 7 & 8 year old as requested by the authorities.

The school is telling the 3-8th grade but not K-2. However, they pulled 2nd grade off the playground this morning. The playground is also the church parking lot. They told the kids that a truck needed to make a delivery. My 7 year old believes it - even disputed me when I tried to explain the real reason.

 

[Blondie]

We're not in the greater D.C. area, we're in Virginia, not more than 7 minutes from where the shooting took place on Friday.

We're telling them the truth. My boys are 11 and 12 and are old enough to know.

When they walked in the door yesterday afternoon, I asked them about being inside all day, and I asked them if they knew why.

The school told them that a 13 y.o. had been shot in Maryland.

Depending on the age and the maturity of your children, they need to know that there is a bad man out there aiming at people of all ages and races.

 

[snoopy]

Here in D.C., they are following the same rule, not telling the K-2, but explaining to the older kids, who in turn run and tell the kids in K-2.

I told my 2nd grader the truth about it all, up to and including the shooting of the 13-year old standing outside his school. I tried to assure him that their is police presence outside his school, and that the principal and all the teachers care very much about his safety, as do me and his Daddy. He seemed satisfied with that, although he does tell me every hour or so that he wishes he could go get that guy and lock him up in jail.

 

[mom2boys]

Snoopy is so right. I have a 2nd grader & a 3rd grader. The 3rd grader is definitely telling his brother everything he hears. I am not keeping things from my boys. We are part of what I consider the "Greater DC area". I consider anyone within commuting distance to Montgomery County/DC to be greater DC area. That encompasses a wide geographic area including Blondie near Fredericksburg, VA & us up here in Frederick, MD. Everyone is anxious.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

I'm in Montgomery County, and I've told my DS (8 years old, 3rd grade) everything. He has a right to know why there are police and helicopters everywhere.

He seems unaffected. I told him that it's ok to be frightened, but that we will keep him safe.

He wasn't told anything at school, and was very upset at being kept in for recess last week before he knew what was going on.

 

[AirForceRocks]

We told our kids (1st grade and 3rd grade) everything. They don't understand the larger implications, but they understand why they have to stay inside for recess, etc.

We don't worry about their safety when they are waiting for the bus, since that is on base. However, we did ask the school and the bus company to change the drop-off procedures. Until today, they let the kids off at the end of the parking lot away from the school building. Now they are driving right up to the front door of the school, so that the kids have only about a 10 foot walk from bus door to school door.

 

[tkd lisa]

We're a little farther away than most of you who've answered. Southern MD is about 60 miles south of the DC beltway, but this came up in our cub scout meeting yesterday. My DH and I are den leaders for our DS's Webelos (4th grade boys). Our Pack has a trip to the corn maze planned for this weekend (which I'm coordinating). One of the parents came into the meeting and asked if we were considering cancelling. All the boys immediately started talking about what they had heard up to and including "It happened at my school, to a friend of mine! He got shot!" So I put it on the agenda for the meeting, and we talked about exactely what had happened, how far away it was, how we didn't know who was doing it or why, that the police were searching for them, that they were recommending kids stay inside if possible, and that adults in the pack would decide if we were going to change any of our activities. We stressed that they should talk to their parents about it, or they could talk to a leader.

I wouldn't have talked about it at the meeting except that the boys were talking about it instead of focusing on our project. Putting it on the agenda let us get back to the main focus while still addressing their concerns.