General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: So my 3rd-grade son asked me if there are any crazy people with guns near us. [View all]lynne
(3,118 posts)- because we live right in the middle of the area where the DC Sniper was doing his killing. One killing was exactly one block from my office. My son was in 4th grade at that time. The school cancelled all outside recess and the children were taken to and from the buses through a line of teachers standing to protect them. Not to mention, 09/11 had occurred the year before, killing the father of one of his friends and about 22 people in our county.
He had one "melt-down" where he came home from school and had a 45 minute crying jag where I couldn't console him. I realized it was from being locked up at school and home, not being able to go out and run off all that excess energy while the sniper was on the prowl.
The good new is that he's now a very well rounded and well adjusted young adult. He's kind, hard working, giving and empathetic. He knew the truth but he digested it in whatever manner that children do and made peace with it. It didn't rob him of his innocence or his childhood. Children are very flexible and can handle more than we give them credit for.