My daughter, who is in sixth grade, came home from school having learned more about the attacks on 9/11 then she ever had. We had a discussion based on things she said they had viewed and spoken about at school. I love that she came home and further discussed it with me. What I wasn't ready for were questions the eight-year-old had. He is sensitive about people and animals being harmed and hearing some of the things his sister had said really caused some turmoil in him. Of course, all of this was just while driving home from picking them up at school (I think some of these mundane, everyday moments are the ones we need to stay present for). I saw the hurt in his face and could feel some anger building in him as we spoke further. I stopped and said " yes there are some terrible people and some people do terrible things AND I heard a quote from Mr. Rodgers once, upon seeing some truly scary things his mother had said look for the helpers, there are always helpers. So have you guys ever heard about the boat evacuation that happened after the attacks, I saw a great video online about the people who came in to help? Let's go home and watch it, and yes I will cry.....and we will look for the helpers". We went home and immediately pulled up the story, we talked through it (and I cried as promised) and I got to have the conversation that ALL these people chose to help, they didn't know if they were putting themselves in danger or who they were helping but they helped. It was in fact, the video states, the largest marine evacuation of all time. I'm so grateful this quote had been shared and I could call upon it when I needed it.
And as mom's we all ruminate on the mistakes we make parenting, what we could have said, could have done, should have said, should have done, let's all take the time to think of a parenting moment that made you proud. Write it down, just for you, for you to read when you're having doubts about your parenting. Read your parenting proudest moments and know that if you're worried about being a good parent ...you probably are.
This is one of the moments I felt like I did what I wanted to and I was grateful for the teachable moment, for them and for me.
-LO
****just to keep it real, I also had told the children I had heard a story of an amazing service dog, we were all set to look at those videos too AND they turned out to be false, thank you Snopes for reminding us that not everything we read on the internet is true.
-LO
****just to keep it real, I also had told the children I had heard a story of an amazing service dog, we were all set to look at those videos too AND they turned out to be false, thank you Snopes for reminding us that not everything we read on the internet is true.
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
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