When You Think They Aren't Paying Attention

They are...
Sunday on the way home from Church we were talking about my race from Saturday.
Part of my identity as a mom to my kids is that mom's a runner. They have all been a passenger in a that jogging stroller!
Cooper asked me if I was ever going to do a Marathon. I said, "yes, someday that is my goal."
Then he said with a very concerned response, "Mom, I NEVER want you to do the Boston Marathon, okay" and before I could answer him Braedyn said, "Cooper, that's all over with now". They got the bad guys. Then Cooper quickly said almost crying...but it could happen again and I don't want it to happen to you. I said don't worry I will never run that one and I will do it somewhere else. I told him bad people do bad things sometimes but that doesn't mean it happens very often. But then I think back and I said that very same thing in December.
It dawned on me then, wow I wonder what goes through their little minds when they see or hear such awful news in this world. I really haven't watched that much coverage except for the day it happened because we had just gotten home from school and I had turned on the TV and that was on - I shut it off because I wasn't really prepared to answer questions and they needed to do homework. They were done with their homework and then went to play so I turned it back on so I could find out what had happened. I didn't even think they were listening or paying attention but somewhere they were.
They came and asked questions later and so we discussed what had happened.
Then today while driving home from preschool Jordan told his friend, "I don't ever want my mom to run the Boston Marathon because there might be an explosion and then I wouldn't have a mom anymore". He is 3 years old!
This is the kind of things my young children have to be worried about...Kind of disturbing!
I can only shelter them from so many things and he is the youngest of three boys. The boys learn things at school too other than on TV. Unfortunately, he will see and hear things that he isn't going to quite understand. We would like to keep our children from these experiences but now it seems we have to start talking through hard things at an earlier age. They can get their hands on the remote or a newspaper article...
I am honest with them and talk to them about things that are real. They might surprise you and they know more then you think they do! Yes, it bothers me the things that they may see but we do not live in Oz nor do we live in a Fairytale. Our job as parents is to raise educated children not only academically and intellectually but as well rounded individuals~ who can take the good and the bad and hopefully make the bad stuff better....we show them the good within the bad. The heroes...
I liked the Mr. Rogers quote "When I was a boy and I would see scary things on the news, my mother would say to me, Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping"
I have given them extra hugs and kisses this week and held them a little tighter. I have laid with them longer in bed. I have been more patient with them.
Kids are curious by nature! Just love them and let them know they can talk to you about anything. I hope they will always know that. I will always listen!
I thought this had some helpful information in it...an article I had found after googling how to talk to your children after tragic events...:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/20/living/talking-kids-scary-news