Let's Talk About... Archive

Shark Incident

There has been an increasing number shark attacks in the past few years. These terrifying tragedies raise a lot of discussion among adults and children alike. Dangers present in nature, or even during a visit to the zoo, can and do raise very real fears in our children.

Some of the issues you may want to discuss with your kids about shark attacks are:

• Ocean beaches are generally safe and lifeguards and rangers do take precautions.
• Explain some of the procedures in language relevant to the age group.
• Sharks are not in lakes, ponds, rivers, or pools.
• Assure them that you will be with them the next time they are in the water.

Here are some questions you may want to ask your kids:

• If you know they heard or saw something on TV you might ask, "Was there something you heard or saw on TV that bothered you?"
• Have you heard about the shark attack?
• Is there something you would like to talk about regarding the shark attack?
• How do you feel about going into the water or swimming?

Travel Safety

As we have become a mobile society, our children ride trains, airplanes, and buses more than ever before. Families travel together during the holidays and on vacations throughout the year, but there are many children who travel alone to visit grandparents, another parent, or other relatives across the country. Regardless of who is traveling, travel safety is a concern that we should talk to our children about. Talking about this issue allows you to convey some important information to your children prior to traveling, and will give you a chance to discover any fears or concerns before they travel.

Some of the issues you may want to discuss with your kids about Travel Safety are:

• Don't leave your bags unattended or let anyone take your bags.
• Don't take anything from or talk to strangers.
• Don't go off with strangers.
• If you have a question or need something, ask the flight attendants, train conductor, or bus driver.
• Discuss security procedures, especially at the airport
• If your child must change planes, make sure he understands that he must be escorted to the gate by airline personnel, and that he must remain with the airline person responsible for him.
• Be sure children know who will be picking them up. Reassure young children that the flight attendant will wait with them until that person has arrived and has been properly identified.
• Tell them to call home as soon as they arrive.

Here are some questions you may want to ask your kids:

• Is there anything that you would like to talk about before you board the plane, bus, or train?
• Is there anything that you need to know?
• Are you thinking about the trip?
• How do they feel about going on this trip?

Fallen Heroes

We all recall the Worcester, MA warehouse fire that took the lives of six firefighters on December 3, 1999. And now the tragedy at the World Trade Center in New York City underscores the heroism of our public safety people more dramatically than anyone could have ever imagined.

As thousands of people rushed down the stairways of the 110-floor twin towers of the World Trade Center, hundreds of firefighters, police officers, and port authority personnel rush upwards within those burning buildings to save the lives of the people who worked there.

We all have our heroes and for many kids their heroes are the people in their communities who protect their families and homes. It is devastating for a child when they see one of their heroes hurt or worse. Events like the horrific attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon impact our children in many ways. We do our best to comfort our kids from these tragedies but there are times they just might need to talk about what has happened.

Some of the issues you may want to discuss with your kids about Fallen Heroes are:

• How to remember the men and women who died
• How to help their families
• What might be helpful to the children of the firefighters, especially if they are in your children's school?

Here are some questions you may want to ask your kids:

• What did you think about when you heard about the firefighters and police officers dying in the rubble of the World Trade Center?
• How do you feel when you see the hundreds of men and women working around the clock to find and save survivors?
• Is there something that you would like to do?
• Is there something you would like to do for the firefighters and their families?