January 20, 2010 10:30 AM
Helping kids make sense of Haiti
Published at Crosswalk today:
Helping Kids Make Sense of Haiti
Barbara Curtis
Crosswalk.com ContributorWhen disaster strikes, a parent's first thought may be to protect their children from the dreadful news, the staggering numbers, the overwhelming questions. To think of the loss in Haiti hurts our grownup hearts.
Would you understand if I said I think we should let it hurt our children's hearts, too?
I've always had this thing about not getting too comfortable -- always felt compelled to teach my kids not to take our security and material blessings for granted. For years I've cut out National Geographic pictures of children all over the world -- eager African children crowded in ramshackle classrooms, kids coming home from market with bunches of fish on their heads, squatting on a dirt floor to shape tortillas with mama, herding sheep with papa. Like the ticker running at the bottom of the news channel screen, these pictures hang at kids' eye-level throughout our house as subliminal reminders that our American lifestyle isn't really the norm.
As a Montessori teacher, I was taught to do this -- to introduce at an early age the diversity of the world through striking visual images. I was also trained to look at things through children's eyes. So when a cataclysmic event occurs, my first thought is with them.
Read my advice to parents at Crosswalk.
Posted in Disasters, Haiti, Montessori, Mothering | Permalink
Comments
Your article is so helpful to us mothers striving to raise compassionate, generous people. Thank you, Barbara. It made me think of something Mother Theresa said, "If you want to change the world, go home and love your family." Your concrete ideas help us teach our children that love is an action that can change someone's life who is suffering. And by helping our children process tragedy properly, we raise emotionally healthy people capable of going out and changing the world. The greatest gift we can give society is to raise healthy compassionate people. Much food for thought, thanks again!
Posted by: Bridget | January 20, 2010 11:18 AM
