User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:02:53 AM EDT
[#1]
My son is 6. No need for him to know much about that sort of thing just yet. he has a lifetime of reality and violence ahead of him...
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:06:44 AM EDT
[#2]
My boys were 6 and 4 then. I worked downtown 14 hr days for a lonng time. I would get 4 hours of sleep at home and I would only sleep on the couch (dont know why).
I explained to them that bad men attacked us. But they will never feel it the way adults did. I guess thats a good thing. I dont know if anyone can explain it to kids. They will find out eventually that there are scumbags on the planet. It did make it easier when I had to explain my two deployments.... |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:10:31 AM EDT
[#3]
I have a little girl who's almost 3. I think of this and all of the other things that she needs to learn when she's old enough. It's overwhelming. But, at her young and innocent age, I've started to teach her some easy to understand history-George Washington, Neil Armstrong, etc. We'll get to the harder conversations in time. But, I agree that as a father I'd rather talk to her about these things before some teacher who may or may not hit all the key points. OP, if you do talk to your son, I'd like to hear what is said and how it goes.
ETA: I recently bought a huge poster of the flag raising on Iwo Jima. When she first saw it, she said, "Da da, what are those guys doing? Are they helping the flag?". I told her, "yes baby, they sure are." Her innocent response, "Oh...I like flags!" 
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:12:10 AM EDT
[#4]
We found out my wife was pregnant with our first child, a week after it happened.
I've never brought it up with her (or my son, but he's only 6), now that I think about it. Maybe I will.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:14:05 AM EDT
[#5]
When its time, I will explain the historical event. Then re-enforce to Never Forget.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:15:18 AM EDT
[#6]
We tell our kids that there are lot of people who don't like America because we are free and the best country in the world. Folks might argue best part but it paints a black and white picture. God Bless 'Merica!
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:20:04 AM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
We found out my wife was pregnant with our first child, a week after it happened. I've never brought it up with her (or my son, but he's only 6), now that I think about it. Maybe I will.  longest pregnancy ever ?? 
No need to get all Geopolitical or graphic but don't beat around the bush either and camouflage the event for something other than what it was. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:20:52 AM EDT
[#8]
Tag. Mine are way too young but I'm interested to read.
Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:21:33 AM EDT
[#9]
My son was 3 at the time. I'll talk to him tonight.
Weird thing is my nephew was born on 9/11, his b-day party is tonight. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:23:24 AM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
longest pregnancy ever ??
No need to get all Geopolitical or graphic but don't beat around the bush either and camouflage the event for something other than what it was. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
We found out my wife was pregnant with our first child, a week after it happened. I've never brought it up with her (or my son, but he's only 6), now that I think about it. Maybe I will. longest pregnancy ever ??
No need to get all Geopolitical or graphic but don't beat around the bush either and camouflage the event for something other than what it was. Hehe, slightly confused by that one myself. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:23:38 AM EDT
[#11]
Told my six year old today while she was watching the attacks that happened. I started to get emotional after talking about the plane crashing in PA. I was holding my own for the towers and the Pentagon.
She was asking questions, I answered as best as I could I figured if she's old enough to shoot, she old enough to learn history (good or bad) |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:23:47 AM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My son is 6. No need for him to know much about that sort of thing just yet. he has a lifetime of reality and violence ahead of him... This. My kids are too young but they will know when they are old enough. I'm going to do my best let them keep their innocence longer than I did. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:25:37 AM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My son is 6. No need for him to know much about that sort of thing just yet. he has a lifetime of reality and violence ahead of him... This. Last year the boy came home from kindergarden asking about why people at school acted different today. I told him 11 years ago some bad people did some really bad things and people want to show respect to the people who got hurt. The details can wait. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:28:39 AM EDT
[#14]
My daughter was born a few years before 9/11,
but today is her birthday. When she woke up for school on May 2nd, 2011, I was glad to tell her that DEVGRU took an important step in getting her birthday back, and that we need to send them a thank-you card. I travel to Arlington in October each year. I think she'll be coming with me this time. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:29:55 AM EDT
[#15]
My daughter is eleven. We've never really talked about it until now, so this morning I pulled up a YouTube video from NYC on the morning of 9/11/2001, the first news report of the first plane hitting. We watched it and about ten-15 minutes in the second plane slammed into the south tower. Her eyes grew wide as saucers and she looked up at me. "Dad, you mean this was on purpose? It wasn't an accident?"
I then talked to her for an hour about how Saudi-born terrorists came to the US, studied to be pilots, then hijacked planes. I explained about the plane that hit the petagon, and the passengers on Flight 93 who fought back. She was reading more about it on wikpedia when I left for work. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:32:42 AM EDT
[#16]
My 8 year old knows that some bad men did a horrible thing to the United States and it killed lots of people. She also knows that her uncles and cousins are out there shooting bad guys in the face to makes sure that shit doesn't happen again. 5 year old does not have awareness to the issue other than we pray for our family and friends who are away fighting bad guys every night before bed.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:33:11 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I have a little girl who's almost 3. I think of this and all of the other things that she needs to learn when she's old enough. It's overwhelming. But, at her young and innocent age, I've started to teach her some easy to understand history-George Washington, Neil Armstrong, etc. We'll get to the harder conversations in time. But, I agree that as a father I'd rather talk to her about these things before some teacher who may or may not hit all the key points. OP, if you do talk to your son, I'd like to hear what is said and how it goes. ETA: I recently bought a huge poster of the flag raising on Iwo Jima. When she first saw it, she said, "Da da, what are those guys doing? Are they helping the flag?". I told her, "yes baby, they sure are." Her innocent response, "Oh...I like flags!"
Got me dusty |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:33:37 AM EDT
[#18]
My wife and I talk more about what life was like before the attacks than the attacks themselves. They know what that day meant for their future.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:35:42 AM EDT
[#19]
Special day to remember heroes born on a sad day. ( 4 year old)
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:43:11 AM EDT
[#20]
9 & 7, nothing yet. They are too young to comprehend it.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:47:49 AM EDT
[#21]
My daughter is 9. She asked me one day, I think they had mentioned it in school . I told her the truth, straight up. Showed her the videos of the two hitting the towers. I didnt show any bodies or anything. Then I explained Iraq and Afghanistan. This was last year or year before. Her teacher was " impressed " the next day.
 Fuck em. Im curious if they discussed it in school today.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:52:24 AM EDT
[#22]
Last year, when all 10th anniversary specials were airing, I watched a couple with my 10yo son and then we had a long talk about the whole thing. Haven't discussed it with the (younger) twins yet beyond the basics.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:53:18 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My daughter is 9. She asked me one day, I think they had mentioned it in school . I told her the truth, straight up. Showed her the videos of the two hitting the towers. I didnt show any bodies or anything. Then I explained Iraq and Afghanistan. Her teacher was " impressed " the next day. Fuck em.I did the same with my 10 year old when she was about 8-9. 7 year old knows it happened but not much else at this point. I suspect I will have to talk with her after school today. J- |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:55:25 AM EDT
[#24]
my son was born in Nov 2001
by now, he is almost 12, and his favorite channels on TV are History, Discovery, Military and Nat-Geo. He knows about it way more than me! |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:56:14 AM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
longest pregnancy ever ??
No need to get all Geopolitical or graphic but don't beat around the bush either and camouflage the event for something other than what it was. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
We found out my wife was pregnant with our first child, a week after it happened. I've never brought it up with her (or my son, but he's only 6), now that I think about it. Maybe I will. longest pregnancy ever ??
No need to get all Geopolitical or graphic but don't beat around the bush either and camouflage the event for something other than what it was. The "her" refers to his daughter, his oldest child. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 11:59:03 AM EDT
[#26]
I have played some of the videos of that day for our youngest (10).
She understands the people who were lost that day, but at HH6's request I haven't shown her the videos of the guys going in, and not coming out. I don't think she'd let me go back to work. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 12:12:31 PM EDT
[#27]
I tell them where I was and what happened afterward.
It still fresh in my mind. You could see the towers burning from the Bowery in Chinatown and then the collapse. No way in Hell I will forget. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 12:35:08 PM EDT
[#28]
I tried to keep things as straight forward as I could. It was painful to let them know that there are "people" in this world that are so blinded by irrational hatred that they would gladly murder Americans. Worse still that they invoked a deity to justify their evil.
Young kids get the vibe if not the message. My daughter was 9 months old on 9/11. She has not known a time when domestic terrorism was not a potential reality in the US. When we were in Boston at the Marathon the first thing she asked me when we felt the shockwave of the first explosion was "Was that a car bomb?" Terrorism is a reality for them. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 12:42:05 PM EDT
[#29]
You tell them it's all their fault.
Please note That's not a 9/11 joke......it's a bad parent joke. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 2:12:50 PM EDT
[#30]
bump
Good answers so far, guys... |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 3:01:44 PM EDT
[#31]
My daughter said this evening that they watched a kid friendly video in class today ( 4th grade ) and said one her classmates' grandfather was on one of the planes.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 3:10:14 PM EDT
[#32]
My son is only 20 months. He will be told when its time.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 3:26:05 PM EDT
[#33]
My kids are 11,10 and 8. My oldest knows some of the stuff seeing pictures and stuff in my FF scrap book and my retired helmet on the wall. But they don't know all the things that happened.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 3:37:22 PM EDT
[#34]
I explained the gist of it to my 6yo son on the way to school today, and that day is the direct reason of why Dad does what he does.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 3:38:06 PM EDT
[#35]
Local news ran a story about a school that spent the day watching video from 9/11. Some kids watched in rapt attention, some covered their eyes at points an others simply could not watch. The school had quite a few students who lost a parent during the attack back in 2001 and unlike most schools, they do not go the PC route when it comes to 9/11. Good for the school authorities.
I hope the kids who saw the video today got some proper perspective given to them. I imagine it would be like the footage taken during the Pearl Harbor attack being shown to schools back then. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 3:52:31 PM EDT
[#36]
My son is 9. told him the truth. crazy people hell bent ruling the world with their brand of religion killed thousands of innocent people and our soldiers are all over the world fighting them to protect us and keep it from happening again.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 3:53:20 PM EDT
[#37]
nvm
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 3:53:29 PM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My son is 6. No need for him to know much about that sort of thing just yet. he has a lifetime of reality and violence ahead of him... This |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 3:56:42 PM EDT
[#39]
My wife was pregnant with our first at that time.
I am quite frank about it and we watched the documentaries on TV and they saw the footage. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 4:12:03 PM EDT
[#40]
Quoted:
What do you tell them about what happened? How do you explain it to them? I have a son who was born just a little over one year after it happened. I've never really had a conversation with him about but he knows I get pretty upset whenever anything related to that day is aired on TV. He's a pretty sharp young man and he's getting old enough to understand some fairly complex issues, so I may try to have an in-depth discussion with him tonight and tell him who did it and what their fucked up reasoning was. I want him to hear it straight from someone who remembers what happened, not taught in some politically correct leftist-influenced bullshit class at school.
Just wondering how some of the rest of you have discussed it with your "Post 9/11" children... He is 11? I imagine he know about terrorists and terrorism, right? Just tell him. Ask him what he knows about today and fill in the blanks. Talking to your kids should not be difficult. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 4:12:19 PM EDT
[#41]
My oldest is four, and frankly, they have their own 9/11 lurking somewhere in the future.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 4:20:18 PM EDT
[#42]
My oldest is 5. He knows we have family fighting the bad guys overseas. That's about as far as I'm going with it right now. He's got a few more years of innocence left.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 4:24:18 PM EDT
[#43]
My son was conceived 2 weeks after 9/11/01. Our shotgun marriage was on 12/18/01.
I know that day had something to do with him being here now. He's 11 now and we have told and shown him over the years what this means. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 6:46:48 PM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
first, stop acting upset when you see 9/11 things on TV. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
What do you tell them about what happened? How do you explain it to them? I have a son who was born just a little over one year after it happened. I've never really had a conversation with him about but he knows I get pretty upset whenever anything related to that day is aired on TV. By "upset" I mean pissed the fuck off, not all teary-eyed boo-hoo. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 6:50:30 PM EDT
[#45]
I was 10 when it happened. Saw it all unfold on the TV after we were released early from school to be with our families. I didnt fully understand it then, but had enough sense to know what happened.
Live footage will be something that I will never forget. |
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 6:50:54 PM EDT
[#46]
My daughter is 4, when she gets a little older I will tell her... "That's the day evil men murdered Uncle Peter and Uncle Chris went to war to smite them from the earth!"
|
|
|
|
Posted: 9/11/2013 7:03:45 PM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
We found out my wife was pregnant with our first child, a week after it happened. I've never brought it up with her (or my son, but he's only 6), now that I think about it. Maybe I will. You really should. |
|
|
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.
