aristocatz
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2009
I'm hoping its ok to post this. I noticed only one thread about the tragic events from this weekend, but it sadly got shut down due to people choosing to argue instead of mourn & reflect. I'm hoping this one will stay open, as I'm sure I'm not the only parent on here who struggles over this issue.
I've been emotionally struggling over the tragic events that occurred this weekend at the Tree of Life Synagogue. We found out about the events shortly after we left our own synagogue, where our young children were attending Hebrew School and my husband and I were attending Shabbat morning services. I cried when my husband showed me the news alert on his phone, but was luckily able to shield my emotions from our children.
The rest of the weekend I spent mourning, in fear, and worrying about my own children and wondering how and when to prep them for the inevitable exposure to racism, antisemitism, prejudice, and hatred they are going to experience in their lives-whether it be directly or indirectly. I know these issues have gone on for hundreds of years, so these concepts are nothing new. But shielding/protecting/educating my children on these issues is new to me.
Parents: I wondered when and how do you start to talk to your children about hate? I don't plan to discuss this weekend's events to our children-they are both under the age of 7. But, with my oldest in kindergarten, will she overhear bigger kids talking about this at school? A mean man who killed Jews at a temple because he hated them? She knows she is half Jewish. I don't want her to fear her own place of worship.
As she gets older, do I wait until she brings these things up to me? Or do I start reading her books now about hate, so she is not surprised to know this level of hate exists?
I've been emotionally struggling over the tragic events that occurred this weekend at the Tree of Life Synagogue. We found out about the events shortly after we left our own synagogue, where our young children were attending Hebrew School and my husband and I were attending Shabbat morning services. I cried when my husband showed me the news alert on his phone, but was luckily able to shield my emotions from our children.
The rest of the weekend I spent mourning, in fear, and worrying about my own children and wondering how and when to prep them for the inevitable exposure to racism, antisemitism, prejudice, and hatred they are going to experience in their lives-whether it be directly or indirectly. I know these issues have gone on for hundreds of years, so these concepts are nothing new. But shielding/protecting/educating my children on these issues is new to me.
Parents: I wondered when and how do you start to talk to your children about hate? I don't plan to discuss this weekend's events to our children-they are both under the age of 7. But, with my oldest in kindergarten, will she overhear bigger kids talking about this at school? A mean man who killed Jews at a temple because he hated them? She knows she is half Jewish. I don't want her to fear her own place of worship.
As she gets older, do I wait until she brings these things up to me? Or do I start reading her books now about hate, so she is not surprised to know this level of hate exists?
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