Talking to your kids about world crises
CRISIS! Your children are surrounded with it: school shootings, kidnapping of kids, war… Your child’s number one response to crisis is fear. How do you handle your child’s fear?
Identify the fear. If your child is exposed to an experience which you think will make him fearful, don’t wait for your child to tell you he is afraid. As a parent, we need to be able to identify the signs of fear. A fearful child may show very aggressive behavior. He may fight with his siblings and peers. He may become defiant. He may delay obedience in order to gain some control in a situation where he feels he has none. A fearful child may become very quiet. He may sleep more, sit in front of the TV, or play video games.
1. Talk openly with your child about his fear. Talk about his feelings.
2. Let your child ask, “Why did God allow this?” Tell your child that the crisis is a result of sin. If all people followed God’s instructions, there would be no shootings, kidnappings….But some people break the rules and many people suffer- many innocent people. God could have stopped this crisis, but He wants us to trust Him, to listen to Him, to obey Him and to live at peace with each other. This is God’s ultimate plan for us.
3. Remind your child of the presence of God in this crisis. Tell Him that God will walk with him through any crisis. This is a great time to teach Psalm 91 to your kids.
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