Talking With Your Children About 9/11

This week will mark the sixth anniversary of the worst terrorist attack in our nation's history; and while we've faced anniversaries before, this is the first time since 2001 that the date September 11 falls on a Tuesday.

As adults, we probably can't see the date approaching without thinking of and reliving the horrific events of that day; and on some level, we may even want to avoid it. However, it's really important for our children that we take the time to intentionally discuss it with them in advance of the anniversary. This is especially true for school aged children, who may or may not be expecting 9/11 to be part of the day's classroom discussion.

If you're wondering how to address the anniversary with your children, I encourage you to read Preparing for the Six-Year Anniversary of 9/11: A Guide for Parents, written by experts at the New York University Child Study Center. Among other things, they recommend that we:

• Talk openly with our kids about the events of September 11^th
• Maintain our normal routines
• Give our children opportunities to express their feelings
• Limit their access to repeated images of the events
• Engage in activities to help them work through their feelings

As a single parent, you may also want to consider whether talking about 9/11 might open up some unspoken worries about maintaining family connections in an emergency. In this case, reassure your children that you have a communication plan in place for maintaining contact with each family member during any type of emergency.

Finally, when talking about 9/11, it can also be helpful to physically express our grief by doing something tangible to remember and contribute. For example, you might:

• Bake cookies with your children for your local firefighters
• Complete patriotic coloring pages or crafts together
• Donate blood
• Participate in an online memorial

Related: Printable Emergency Contact Form