Osama bin Laden's Death: A time for celebration and remembrance, how to talk to your kids

As I wrote in my piece, Are We Moving Closer to Peace and Human Rights with Osama bin Laden’s Death?, for the Examiner this is a time for celebration and remembrance;

However this news, while unprecedentedly victorious, will undoubtedly leave a deep cut in the power of al Qaeda’s forces and the fight against terrorism, is not the end to this nearly decade long fight. The al Qaeda’s reign is not over and there unquestionably many more battles to be won in the fight for freedom. Nonetheless today gives us a much needed light to see that the end of this war is coming closer.

It is not only the courageous SEAL teams who carried out the deadly operation give our gratitude to, but also the hundreds of thousands who answered the call of duty following the 9-11 attacks to fight at the forefront in the war against bin Laden and al Qaeda. These brave men and women are the ones whose daily sacrifice was made to defend our country and individual freedoms, many of whom who made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives, should all remain forever in our grace. It is thus for these everyday heroes and their families that we must use today as that of not only a day of celebration, but also one of remembrance.

Continue reading on Examiner.com: Are We Moving Closer to Peace and Human Rights with Osama bin Laden’s Death?

Therefore with all this heavy discussion all over the news, you are not the only one bambarded with it…your children are undoubtedly listening and watching as well, so how do you talk to them?   How do you deal with questions like:”Why are people happy that Osama bin Laden is dead?”

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has some advice for how to speak to your children about the killing of Osama bin Laden and other terrorism issues, events related to political uprisings and combat:

1. Wait until your child is ready to talk, don’t force a conversation. Help them express themselves, through art or writing.
2. Answer a child’s questions honestly, using age appropriate concepts for their level of understanding. Don’t overload a child with too much information.
3. Be prepared to repeat explanations or conversations.  Asking the same questions over may be your child’s way of asking for reassurance.
4. Avoid stereotyping groups of people by race, nationality, or religion.  Use the opportunity to teach tolerance and explain prejudice.
5. Don’t let children watch lots of violent or upsetting images on TV.  Repetitive frightening images or scenes can be very disturbing, especially to young children. Children who have experienced trauma or losses may show more intense reactions to tragedies or news of war or terrorist incidents.  These children may need extra support and attention.