Talking to your kids...

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To All:

Whatever your viewpoint, how have you addressed this issue with your kids? Hopefully, if you have, it is at least in some general way consistent with your viewpoint, but can you share any details, including their reactions? Showing their ages would be helpful as well.

Thanks.

-- eve (123@4567.com), November 09, 1999

Answers

I have a 16 year old niece, she is a tall blonde cheerleader, she is not known for her charm, her sensitivity, intelligence, or personality. I could just picture her overhearing another student discuss Y2K and sadistically mocking the person. I made it very clear to her Aunt Paula is heavily prepared, a "Y2K'er," and I'm not the only in the family. I sent her a handful of articles that were bone chilling. I had to. It was my moral and ehtical obligation to make sure my niece conducted herself as a human being and not a little monster.

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), November 09, 1999.

Eve,

I have the most wonderful five year old. During the past year of so, he has sat patiently beside me while I work during the evenings. He has asked me numerous times what I am so busy working on. Most of the times, my answer to him has been Y2K. And indeed, the work has occupied my life away from my normal desk, following me home for late evenings.

Every time he has asked me a question, I have answered him completely. Due to his age, the conversations do not span hours, but usually only a few minutes. He listens, thinks, then asks me questions. I answer him, not as a child, but as the "little" person that he is. He does have a understanding that some things could become interesting in our life in the very near future. Almost daily, he asks me when the future will be here. Sometimes, my reply that every new day is the future, others I say so many days.

He is aware of the extra purchases that I have made, large or small. He is aware of the extra wood that I have purchased. But most of all, I think that he is glad that I have taken the time to worry about our future. It really does feel great when he comes up and gives me a hug just because.....

-- (cannot-say@this.time), November 09, 1999.


Hi eve,
I have found that a child can be told the truth
about every aspect of life; just a different
message according to their age and ability to
understand. They can cope as well as you (or
better) to every possibility. Be aware that you
send another message that isn't in words. Your
personal ability to center (or not) tells them
more than talking about what you believe will
happen.

My 17 year old son receives a constant flow of
information from me so there is not a point of
having a reaction. He informs me of the views of
the students. He told me that Channel One has not
even mentioned it *YET*! :-'

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), November 09, 1999.


We've got buy's 12 and 8. They have been in the loop since the beginning (both physically and spiritually), very few things discussed or done without their help. They are comfortable with it all. They are to the point now, that when they buy toys, they consider battery power an issue. They are always commenting on many things that might not work, or things that will definitely work if things go bad.

We have been eating what we have prep'd for over a year now, they have adjusted just as well as we have (lack of junk food really does not kill). At most meals, they ask if this is something that we will be able to have later on.

They are even aware that it is not cool to talk about what the family has done. We did not have to explain this one, they figured it out all on their own.

Keeping them in the dark, will only add to the things to deal with later on. They can prepare just as the older folks can...

-- BH (bh_silentvoice@hotmail.com), November 09, 1999.


Type-o 2 boys not buys....

-- BH (bh_silentvoice@hotmail.com), November 09, 1999.


i have two teens (13 and 16). although y2k is a possible reality i try not to alarm them too much. they know i am preparing. they know that things may get tough and when it gets closer to the time, i will have them help with bug out bags, etc. but i don't think it is good to share worse case scenarios with kids now. kids hope for the future. they have dreams and aspirations beyond what many adults do (because so many of ours have been dashed--we are more realistic)-- they are blessedly naiive. i think you could easily move a teen into hopelessness and depression if you paint a worse case scenario too much with them. kids are resilient--they will bounce back and survive bad situations but don't fill their minds with doom and gloom too far in advance. i treat this the same as the future events of the bible--they need to know about them and spirtually prepare but you can't expect kids to get as excited about heaven as some of us older folks. kids are in the here and now--they need to live there and to be able to keep their hopes and dreams.

-- tt (cuddluppy@yahoo.com), November 09, 1999.

gee, paula, with aunts like you who needs enemies. i think there are ways to share info without "bone chilling". do you like this kid or do you hate her--wasn't obvious from your saying you don't want her to be a "monster"?

-- tt (cuddluppy@yahoo.com), November 09, 1999.

I have 2 daughters 13 and 18. Both have been in the know since the hubby and I found out about Y2K over 2 years ago. My 18 year old thinks nothing bad will happen and she humors the old mom. She lives on her own but she knows she is very welcome and wanted here if things aren't as she invisions (she is on limited income so I've prepped for her). My 13 year old thinks what I say is possible and has helped stack firewood, learned to eat and love rice and beans, is learning new skills as she watches mom. I've also talked to her about the possibility that her school will be turned into a shelter or that there might not be anymore formalized school anymore. Her sister was homeschooled during her high school years so she understands. Kids don't really want to think that their world will not be rosy. I choose to prep the kids with knowledge about Y2K without terrifying them in the best way I can. I have always tried to be honest with these little "souls" where appropriate. I always hope that our inner voice will guide us on the best ways to prepare our children.

-- Debi (LongTimeLurker@shy.com), November 09, 1999.

To cannot-say, tt, spider, BH, Debi:

Thanks for your responses, whch were beautiful and touching. I have two young teenage boys and need all the help I can get with this one.

To Paula:

I'm sorry, but I couldn't connect with you on this; your approach seems a little too hard. But thanks for responding, anyway.

-- eve (123@4567.com), November 09, 1999.


Hi Debi,

Good to read your post. I've thought about you several times, hope all is well. Thanks for making me laugh so hard the other night.

On kids--mine (5 and 9) are conversant w/ y2k as a subject, much as cannot-say so eloquently posts re. her child. Mine are still young enough to be really flexible in their views of the world and its adventures. Plus they know mom and dad are looking out for them.

-- silver ion (ag3@interlog.com), November 09, 1999.



we have 3 children ranging from 5 to 11. they are well aware of y2k as we have explained to them that things next yr may be 'a lot different' than they are right now.

they are not happy at the idea, and i'm sure they are a bit scared (aren't most of us who have done their y2k-homework?), but they do understand what we are doing and why.

wife and i believe the truth about the risks should be told to our children. but explaining it all to them is certainly not an easy task.

-- lou (lanny1@ix.netcom.com), November 09, 1999.


My oldest daughter (30) is in Sweden and I don't know what she and her husband think about Y2K. My son (25) is worried and will move from Ohio to be with us here in Florida on Dec 26th.

My youngest daughter is 41/2. Today she bought a plastic box full of toys for me to see ( I was reading this forum ) and she told me she is stocking her toys for when we go camping.

We have told her we are stocking for camping because Y2K is a little too abstract for her at her age. Other then that white lie we talk openly in front of her but do not use terms such as "die off", etc.

Hopefully it will be a BITR and we will be able to go camping. Much prefer that to using our defensive preps.

-- Mr. Pinochle (pinochledd@aol.com), November 09, 1999.


yep- this has been dscussed before on this forum but is always appropriate. It all depends on their ages and maturity plus level of understanding- very unique to each child. No need to scare them IMO- it is our job as parents to protect them as best we can and assure them of this.

My teenager loves looking at our food preps- he says it makes him feel happy and secure (he LOVES to eat)! He is rooting for the schools closing down of course!!

-- farmer (hillsidefarm@drbs.com), November 09, 1999.


farmer--cute that the food makes your son feel secure. teenaged boy right? FOOOOOOOD!!! i have at least 40 boxes of cereal (and I will get more)--my younger son LOVES CEREAL and can easily polish off a box in a day. i will fight to the death if the government tries to take it. probably so will he. when my kids whine about what I cook-- I just warn them to "wait until you have to eat spam" next year.

-- tt (cuddluppy@yahoo.com), November 10, 1999.

My little guys are 3 and 7. They dutifully tagged along at garage sales this summer, where I found everything from camping toilets and propane tanks to mason jars. They love to help me but do not understand that what I am doing is unusual. The first grader insisted that pouring water into garbage cans was the highlight of his day and MUST be noted in his first-grade diary. I'm totally secretive about my y2k preps, but he isn't! I hope his teacher is a GI!

-- cmd0903 (cmd0903@dontcall.com), November 10, 1999.


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