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On a radio talk program here in Utah, a mom called in about what her 8-year-old daughter did when the mother showed her video of the tsunami in Japan. She had thought about it for a while, and had finally decided to show her what had happened. When the daughter saw the video, the mother was shocked to see her daughter laughing.
If this was your kid, what would you do? How would you keep this from happening?
How would I keep that from happening? I woud NEVER show an 8 year old video footage of a natural disaster. That mother is insane for showing her.
Eight year olds aren't capable of understanding that type of devastation or dealing with it emotionally if they do understand.
At 8, it's very possible she doesn't even realize it's real. Children that age have a difficult time understanding the difference between fantasy and reality on TV.
It's also possible that she was disturbed by what she saw and laughing was her way of dealing with the stress it was causing her.
I doubt the child knew what she was seeing. Usually when I call my kids to see a video it is something endearing or funny. I'm hoping she reacted like she did cause she was confused.
My own girls have seen some clips of this disaster on the Today show when we have it on in the kitchen. One daughter had a strange reaction, telling her teacher that her sister (adopted from Korea and grown and living away from home), was visiting in Japan and was hurt in the earthquake. This 8 year old, adopted from Vietnam, reacted this way because I know this is the first time she has seen so many Asians in videos together and she probably internalized that all Asians are hurt and in trouble. The teacher understood when I explained this to her.
But I also learned that the whole school has had some lessons about earthquakes and tsumani and they have tried to use age appropriate terms and explanations. My 3rd grader came home with a list of weather terms and diagrams and some basic definitions. I'm glad the teachers are acknowledging what has happened and are trying to make it understandable in a scientific way, Here at home we have talked about suffering in the world and how we can help people who are hurt or scared.
But I also learned that the whole school has had some lessons about earthquakes and tsumani and they have tried to use age appropriate terms and explanations. My 3rd grader came home with a list of weather terms and diagrams and some basic definitions. I'm glad the teachers are acknowledging what has happened and are trying to make it understandable in a scientific way, Here at home we have talked about suffering in the world and how we can help people who are hurt or scared.
Schools educate students after natural disasters to help them cope with images they may be seeing and hearing about at home.
It's important for teachers and parents to help children understand that they are safe and a disaster isn't happening and won't happen to everyone.
Even at 12 its hard for kids to comprehend something like that is real.
Like 9/11, I was the first one to see it, I thought it was a movie at first, I didn't think stuff like that actually happened outside the movies. It was even at that age something very hard to see, I watched it live as it happened, I wish I hadn't. Granted I never laughed but cried for like the longest time.
Nothings wrong with the little girl she just doesn't know how to cope with seeing that.
How would I keep that from happening? I woud NEVER show an 8 year old video footage of a natural disaster. That mother is insane for showing her.
Eight year olds aren't capable of understanding that type of devastation or dealing with it emotionally if they do understand.
At 8, it's very possible she doesn't even realize it's real. Children that age have a difficult time understanding the difference between fantasy and reality on TV.
It's also possible that she was disturbed by what she saw and laughing was her way of dealing with the stress it was causing her.
That was what my mom said too when she heard about it. She thought that with kids watching AFV and laughing at people who get hurt, it might have been hard to think of those people as real. My mom's advice was to explain to the child, before watching the video, what happened, that way the child can be prepared for it. My mom is much more of an expert than I am since I have no children.
I was also told that a child should be much older to watch those videos. My 5-year-old sister dis not watch any of the tsunami videos, of course. My 10-year-old sister watched them, but I think she might have been too young, because she didn't really seem to understand it. I remember I didn't really understand the 9/11 videos I watched as an elementary student.
I agree that an 8 year doesn't have the capacity to understand what it means. Heck, I'm adult and the images seemed unreal to me! To an 8 year old, that big wave might look like fun. Moving houses and cars just like what she has seen at the movies.
My son was in kindergarten when 9-11 happened. The school went on lock down and no one could pick up their children. I picked him up at the end of the day and all the kids came out talking excitedly about how planes were crashing into buildings. By their excited voices and smiles it would seem all these kids were happy. They were just wound up trying to understand something that was basically not understandable. I was actually shocked they knew so much already. Apparently the school informed the kids and I had heard the staff had the tv's going. I don't know if its just me or what but it sure seems that society wants children to understand complex issues at younger and younger ages all the time.
It was not that long ago that families, children included, would gather around the deathbed of a family member. I think children are capable of understanding a lot more than we give them credit for.
Perhaps reality in my family is a little different. I did watch some tsunami footage with my 8 and 10 year old children. We had a long talk about it, and they asked appropriate questions.
I don't believe in shielding children, they don't need all the sordid details, but they see and hear things, and I would rather they get a factual version of things from me than second-hand on the playground, or by eavesdropping.
Where my husband and I originate from is a volatile, violent place, and we have lost many friends and family to violent crime over the years. We are careful what we say in front of the children, but we do tell them the cliff-notes if it involved friends or family they know. They overheard my MIL talking about one incident recently, and thank goodness we had already told them. She just wasn't thinking, but stuff like that happens.
It was not that long ago that families, children included, would gather around the deathbed of a family member. I think children are capable of understanding a lot more than we give them credit for.
Perhaps reality in my family is a little different. I did watch some tsunami footage with my 8 and 10 year old children. We had a long talk about it, and they asked appropriate questions.
I don't believe in shielding children, they don't need all the sordid details, but they see and hear things, and I would rather they get a factual version of things from me than second-hand on the playground, or by eavesdropping.
agreed!
I've never shielded my kids from the news. Now, my 4 year old obviously knows nothing, but my 12 year old knows full well what happened. My husband is Japanese. We have friends and family in Japan who have been affected.
Hiding reality from your children is, imo, a mistake. Life is not all cupcakes and butterflies folks. Like zimbo up there said, I would rather them learn the truth and facts from me, than by having her idiot school mates fill her head with partial truths and rumors.
My daughter knew more about the earthquake and tsunami than her teachers did, and corrected them on several facts (as well as, apparently, pronunciations of things LOL).
thats my girl
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