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]csziggy
(34,139 posts)But it's been happening for millennium. Children had to worry about invaders killing their entire villages, dying early of disease ("Ring Around the Rosy" was a very grim song for a reason), or going hungry.
When I was in elementary school, we were terrified by the Cuban missile crisis - I was in fifth grade, my little sister was in first. The "duck & cover" and evacuation drills scared us and made us realize we could die at any moment. That was a fear that stayed with me for a very long time.
I am not trying to make light of your son's concerns or of the school shooting situations. My comments are a reality check. Life was never as safe as "Leave It to Beaver" - life was always dangerous for children and adults.
I think you did good with your son. You reassured him and did not increase his worries. to your son.