"Mom, what's the real story about 9/11? A question from my 12 y.o. son asked tonight.

Well, I'm a bit stunned right now.

My son asked me this question with a tone that insinuated the original story was not the full story to be told.

He must have heard things at school today, or on the bus that have caused him to ask these questions.

He asked me "did anyone know it was going to happen?" and, "Why would they do that?"

He had a ton of questions...those are just the ones that stuck out to me the most.

WTH?

a reply to: MagesticEsoteric

Tell him the truth.

I wish the same would be done for us also.

Ouch that would be a tuff one!

I had never pondered about what kids make out of the controversy surrounding 9/11 and how parents handle it.

I guess depending on how old they are, would change the response, but on some level you would have to be real about it and say that it was a tragedy that we are still sorting though.

Not sure when the appropriate age is to let your kids in on the whole "you can not always trust the government" thing but perhaps this is that moment?

a reply to: MagesticEsoteric

Its Pretty funny when even a twelve year old can see something wasn't right about the "official story"

originally posted by: AnteBellum
a reply to: MagesticEsoteric

Tell him the truth.

I wish the same would be done for us also.

I want to but, I feel like I will be taking away the innocence of his childhood.

I want him to be carefree for as long as he is able.

The world is so harsh as is....

Tell him the truth .. sounds quite smart to be questioning the official fairytale at his age .. also keep encouraging him to ask questions and think for himself ..

a reply to: MagesticEsoteric

Evil people flew airplanes into buildings in New York.

There seems to be some confusion over anyone knowing who knew ahead of time.

It was an awful day for everyone in America.

I am sorry you have to know about it and I am sorry if you have seen and videos of the crashes.

America is forever changed but the kindness of it's people never will.

We work everyday at never letting it happen again, but we have to be very careful.

No one in the world loves you more than your family, we will always protect you.

Maybe these answer will help.

originally posted by: elementalgrove
Ouch that would be a tuff one!

I had never pondered about what kids make out of the controversy surrounding 9/11 and how parents handle it.

I guess depending on how old they are, would change the response, but on some level you would have to be real about it and say that it was a tragedy that we are still sorting though.

Not sure when the appropriate age is to let your kids in on the whole "you can not always trust the government" thing but perhaps this is that moment?

I'm really struggling with this one...

I never really thought about having to have a 9/11 discussion with my children......stupid me!

On one hand I'm beyond proud that my kid has a mind of his own and can question the "norm"
On the other...I wish he never had to deal with the ugliness of knowing the things aren't always the way you think they are.

a reply to: MagesticEsoteric

I debated that also with my now 7 year old daughter but on certain subjects felt I would be doing her an injustice. With school shootings, pedophilia and diseases running rampent in our streets I chose to empower her with the truth, rather then scare her from it.

It is each parents prerogative though and would never tell you directly how to raise your child.

a reply to: MagesticEsoteric

Seeking the truth is part of becoming an adult, no ? Do your best to explain what you think may have happened, which should encourage him to tell you what he thinks.

a reply to: MagesticEsoteric

In my humble opinion, the children today, are the leaders of tomorrow. You should tell him the truth.

a reply to: MagesticEsoteric

You truly are in a tuff position.

However the realities of the world are what they are. In this situation I would think that encouraging the critical thinking would be very very key. You could perhaps discuss, what we all discuss, the absurdities of certain theories surrounding it, which would be a good point to bring in the understanding of disinformation/propaganda.

I have always believed that children are far more capabale than we give them credit when they are given the truth of situations. I do not know how old your child is, but at a certain point we have to discuss the negative things that exist. I like the way my mom described life when I was young, that of it being a school for the soul. Sometimes the bad that is in the world is here for us to learn from, to learn how to be a light in the world and help change things for the better.

Our obstacles are our great lessons and perhaps it would be a good time to implant the seed of being here to help change the errors of the world!

originally posted by: MarlinGrace
a reply to: MagesticEsoteric

Evil people flew airplanes into buildings in New York.

There seems to be some confusion over anyone knowing who knew ahead of time.

It was an awful day for everyone in America.

I am sorry you have to know about it and I am sorry if you have seen and videos of the crashes.

America is forever changed but the kindness of it's people never will.

We work everyday at never letting it happen again, but we have to be very careful.

No one in the world loves you more than your family, we will always protect you.

Maybe these answer will help.

Well said.

originally posted by: MagesticEsoteric
Well, I'm a bit stunned right now.

My son asked me this question with a tone that insinuated the original story was not the full story to be told.

He must have heard things at school today, or on the bus that have caused him to ask these questions.

He asked me "did anyone know it was going to happen?" and, "Why would they do that?"

He had a ton of questions...those are just the ones that stuck out to me the most.

WTH?

Having children makes us mortal ... in our own minds and no matter how valiantly we resist or deny it. A good result perhaps in the long run. However, in youth and for many of us long into old age, an important--even vital--means of therapeutic rebellion against the often times dark frigidity of mundane reality, is the mental transcendence of societal taboo--or thinking against the norm or even rational, for the sake of touching ultimate freedom, even if it is only freedom lived within the mind.

Children sure do bring us back to terra firma. I agree with other recommendations to relay to him the truth as you know it. His mind will eventually accept or reject that someday referenced truth accordingly, and he will smile knowing his parent was as honest as possible. But isn't that another, much more joyous consequence of having offspring? That no matter how wise or open minded or deep thinking we parents are, our children will eclipse us one day, inevitably.

originally posted by: MarlinGrace
a reply to: MagesticEsoteric

America is forever changed but the kindness of it's people never will.

THIS ^^^^ made me tear up. Maybe I'm hormonal, maybe it's because I still want the dream? I don't know, but that sentence is profound.

TO OP- My daughter is turning 17 soon. She is at the age where she is aware of what I research, what I believe, how I feel about the government, and conspiracy theories from A to Z.

When my daughter comes to me with a question like this, I do tell her my opinion, but I also tell her to research and seek out her own answers. What makes sense to her? I tell her what my parents told me...

Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see. Then I explain that you may not even be able to believe half of what you see now with the technology we have.

It is a fine line and as parents we worry with burdening them with too much, instilling fear and suspicion in them, and just wiping away the innocent way they view the world too early. But the truth is, they see more and know much more than we can imagine. Didn't you? I knew things at 10 that would have made my mom backhand me more than once if I had let on that I knew.

Tell them what you think happened. They already know bad people are in this world. Also tell them that they need to do some research on their own so they don't go around telling people they know something is fact because MOM SAID SO.

It's a good time to teach them to always search out their own answers because sometimes the media doesn't get it right. If they start doing that when they are young, it can only benefit them in the future. Everyone should teach their children to question everything they feel off about, doubt, or simply don't understand. Just because you see it on TV or the net... it doesn't make it true so it's ok to doubt any "official story" that doesn't sit well with them. Sometimes that feeling will be right, and sometimes it may be wrong but they will learn how to look for themselves.

I wish you luck with it. It is hard to answer some questions and it's ok to tell them that you find it hard to answer and why. You are human and they need to see that too.

What I did with my children is I explained the many sides of the story. One was terrorists flew planes into the buildings. Another was remote controlled planes. Another was CGI. Another was controlled demolition.

Don't be afraid to use big words around your kids. They ask questions, my youngest is ten, and all this has been explained to him. He's asked what this or that word means, and I've explained it to him. HE understands.

In essence, talk to your pre-teens as if they were adults. After age 7, or so, when they start asking questions, give them real answers. Adult answers. Don't candy coat their future. Tell it like it is.

If yo

What I did with my children is I explained the many sides of the story. One was terrorists flew planes into the buildings. Another was remote controlled planes. Another was CGI. Another was controlled demolition.

Don't be afraid to use big words around your kids. They ask questions, my youngest is ten, and all this has been explained to him. He's asked what this or that word means, and I've explained it to him. HE understands.

In essence, talk to your pre-teens as if they were adults. After age 7, or so, when they start asking questions, give them real answers. Adult answers. Don't candy coat their future. Tell it like it is.

If you don't have an answer, tell them you'll google it. Curiously enough, my ten year old will google his own questions, and then say, "Dad, did you know?", and rattle on about a topic.

I chuckle, and say yes, but I see him learning on his own, and questioning.

Whatever, and however you choose to handle this - make sure you teach them *how* to think and not *what* to think.

No matter the method, critical thinking is something that's no longer taught in schools.

It's something I too have been asked by my kids, both the 16 and 18 year old. Yours is quite a bit younger, so I can appreciate the 'stunned' feeling.

a reply to: MagesticEsoteric

At that age they tried to steer me several times away from the grown up section in the library. I would have none of it and kept reading war novels and thriller novels.

He should be grown enough to handle the truth, so just tell him the different sides of what maybe happened.