Your Kids & the Latest Shooting

Shooting, shooting, trauma, trauma. All the experts are on TV telling you how to deal with your kids about the horror. So let me add my two cents. BE HONEST! Don't hide the violence - that's not reality. Let them see it if they want. Make sure they catch the aftermath. That is reality. It's also what separates video games from the real world. Ask them what they think. Tell them what you think. Share fears if you have them. Kids don't need to see perfection in you, they need to see you as a human who loves them and will do your best to protect them, no matter what. Then, instead of preaching about some idealistic world where safety is achievable, teach them the truth that 100% safety is impossible. Never has been, never will be. Those hell-bent on destruction... will often find a way.

Follow that up by letting them know that for most everyone, odds of being a victim are still very slim. Teach them measures to increase their own safety (lock doors at all times, stay out of gangs, stay out of dark alleys at night, don't steal from others, don't go with strangers, etc).

Violence has no political bounds. So for our lame-ass government officials... maybe we should quit supporting a country that is committing blatant genocide and flattening the homes and businesses of innocent civilians. That only teaches that violence is okay to solve issues. IT'S NOT!