Just How Much Is Too Much?

I'd like to offer my sympathies to the families and friends of the victims who were killed at Columbine High School last week - my heart goes out to you all. I know what it feels like to loose a loved one to cancer but I can't imagine the pain of having a loved one pulled away in such horror and evilness. God bless you all.

The goal of my article is not to go over the details, the questions, the how's and why's of this incident. I'm sure you've seen or read a lot about it, and I'd like to talk this into another direction.

My objective is to make you reflect about what to tell and how to talk about something of significant importance to your daycare group. You are working with other people's children. Do you know what to say? What not to say? What happens when religious and cultural differences come in? Just how much do you talk about the "real" world?

When my six-year-old son came home from school last week, he told me about the killings, the trench coats and the bombs. I freaked! The world was in shock and I hadn't even began to think how I would discuss this with my own children, when he tells me that it already been discussed during class.

In a sense, I was relieved, almost like taking the easy way out but after a minute of thought, I asked myself; what was said and how was it said? Then I got angry. Was this discussion done with the teacher? Or just a few students chit-chatting without any adult there to intervene and guide them through this horrible ordeal? Was my child's impression of this tragedy the one I wanted him to have?

Don't get me wrong, I believe it's important to discuss this with our children but where as educators do we draw the line? This incident is horrible and we'll all agree with that but what happens when the case isn't so clear?

I'll give you two examples where educators said too much. I'd love to hear from you, about how you'd deal in these situations. If you would rather think about it - that's fine!

When studying in ECE, we were told over and over again that our jobs are extremely important and as educators we shape the future generations to come. Do we really think before we answer their (children) questions?

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