How do you explain this war/current politics to 9 and 10 year olds

[funkybutt]

I've got visiting neices and nephews in town. They are from republican families in a very red area of the state(Louisiana). Yesterday they saw an anti war shirt that I had and one of them said, "Why would you want to end the war?" I was flabergasted. Thinking to myself "Why WOULDN'T you want to end a war" but all I could say was, "Because our country attacked Iraq for the wrong reasons." To which she responded, seeming shocked and confused, "But they are protecting our country!?" At that point all the kids were paying attention (very rare). I and the other adult in the room quickly responded in unison, "NO, they're not!" The kids seemed baffled.

After much thought, I realize I should not have left the conversation at that. But we're very passionate about this and we didn't want to appear to be angry at them or yelling. I don't want them to think that we're telling them what to believe, like their other family does. And I dont' want that family to think that we're indoctrinating the children with "leftist propaganda" while they are visiting either. Now I wish I would have explained my position more but what should I have said?

[Greeby]

1. Sorry to be flippant

quote - How do you explain this war/current politics to 9 and 10 year olds

Metaphorically speaking, isn't that the dilemma Bush's advisers are faced with everyday? ;)

[pstans]

2. Explain to them about the death

Tell them that you don't think people should be dying when they don't have to.

[brainshrub]

3. Listen to this 3-year old talk about how his Dad isn't coming home:

Go ahead on listen to this 3-year old talk about how his Dad isn't coming home anymore:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4760255

President Bush should be forced to explain to this kid how his father died for a pack of lies.

[liberalitch]

12. I heard that this morning on the way to work and had to pull over and cry

[Dr Fate]

4. Dont. Give them a comic book instead.

Let them be children for one or two more years. You only get to do it once.

[seabeyond]

14. oh no way. this is their lesson. this is their world

they are walking into. no way. this is too valuable an opportunity for kids to think beyond. no way would i miss this opportunity. kids have to think. too much brainwashing going on. they might as well learn how to explore their brain in flexible thought with a couple responsible adults that will allow them to in grace.

so disagree

they asked for a reason. they interacted and asked those questions because they wanted the information. they were the curious mind

[Dr Fate]

16. Well, they did ask.

If they actually asked, then I suppose you should tell them your opinion.

[grumpy old fart]

5. I would couch things in terms of "my opinion is.." and not be dogmatic....

That way you are not telling them what to think, but they can realize there are opinions out there that differ from their parents. It's all a little complicated for 9 year olds of course. I tell my own young children (8&10), who have friends with Republican parents, that "I think" this, or "I feel" that and try to keep things simple. Things like, "war should always be a last resort", and "I feel the president lied to us", and "You can't always take what the government says at face value. Sometimes they have other reasons for doing things than what they are saying." If they have questions, I answer them honestly and on their level. If they don't ask questions, I pretty much leave it alone. Most of this is beyond the ability of a 9 or 10 year old to understand in any depth, and you certainly don't want to unnecessarily frighten them in any case.

[wli]

6. my strategy is not to have children

The world's gone so far down the toilet it would be a crime to bring them into the world.

[ArkDem]

10. We all thank you for your decision.

:toast:

[stellanoir]

7. If you have the opportunity tell them that you're sorry

that your opinion was confusing to hear but that our country is very polarized (or divided) over this issue. There are those who believe that the war was started because Iraq posed a real threat to the US, but there are many who don't agree with that position for many different and I feel, very valid reasons.

Then see what questions they ask of you.

Kids are generally more capable of appreciating complexity than many older folks. You aren't telling them what to be believe especially if you present both sides of the issue even handedly.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

8. "Sometimes grownups can be real a**holes"

[CJCRANE]

9. Tell them

that there are clever people called "the intelligence services" who gave the president a lot of good advice but he decided not to listen to them. He then made up his own stories instead and went round telling everyone them even though they weren't true. And a lot people believed him. They're called "sheeple" and the loud ones are called "freepers".

[CJCRANE]

11. Once upon a time...

in a faraway place...in fact nearly 10,000 miles away across the Atlantic Ocean, over the Mediterranean sea, and across the arabian desert, lived a bad man called Saddam...

[seabeyond]

13. i hear ya. i challenge this. i get this from kids in htis area

i will ask them. they will tell you what their parents say. they will sya, they attacked us. then i will say, no, and explain saudi people living out of afghanistan, thru an orginization. iraq was not involved. i only give the facts. i let the kids develop and ask and i insist on their participation. i put the questions out.

the important, and it sounds like you understand, is not manipulating these minds. put the facts only. when it is something you feel, be sure to make it clear, this is merely how you see. youa re allowed

look. my kids are so far beyond a lot of adults. this is much simpler for kids.

and you can allow the kids to know out loud, you think different from their adults. this is who we are as a nation., and you are allowed to feel different. it is good. it is diversity.

i love for kids to think. simply allow them to think

[CJCRANE]

17. Actually

this even a good tactic with friends. If we're discussing a particular situation I first ask them what facts they know about it. We then have a baseline to build on instead of making assumptions.

[liberalitch]

15. This way....

Explain to them that we are at war with Iraq because our president is afraid and when people are afraid they lash out at anyone.... More often than not NOT at the people who hurt them because that's who we're afraid of.

Explain that Osama and his followers wants to be free like we want to be free so they don't hate us for that..... they hate us because they feel like we're keeping them from being free.
Free to govern themselves, to practice their faith and conduct their own affairs.... this makes them angry and when people are angry they do mean things like 9/11. This made us afraid and we could not find our new enemy (osama.... who we should have caught by now) so we attacked our old enemy even though he wasn't dangerous and wasn't trying to hurt us.... we are angry and this is the mean thing that we did

Then say: Maybe we should have asked saddam to HELP us catch osama instead....

[woodsprite]

18. What about this - put the decision on them -

a problem based question (bear with me here) -

You have 4 classrooms each full of kids. Classroom A really has more kids because 5 kids from Classroom B have moved their desks into their room. The teacher from Classroom A says that he wants the Class B kids out of his room and if they don't leave, he's going to hurt someone. The kids stay and he organizes a few kids from the room A to sabbotage the auditorium while it's being used for assembly. Some classroom B kids are hurt, but in the process kids from other classrooms are hurt too. Some of the Classroom B kids who weren't hurt, start a fight in Classroom A to try to get the teacher who started the fight.

In the meantime, Classroom C is having their daily snack of milk and cookies. The rest of the kids from classroom B who aren't fighting in classroom A and who are having fruit for a snack have decided they want milk and cookies. Some more of class B kids go and start a big fight in classroom C, breaks all the tables, chairs and glasses so classroom C can't eat milk and cookies in their room. The kids take the classroom C teacher AND the milk and cookies back to their classroom. The class C kids are left to clean up the mess and don't have any leadership. In the meantime, the class B teacher is trying to get more kids to keep fighting in class C and has forgotten all about the teacher and kids in class A who started it all.

Did classroom B kids have any real reason to go into classroom C? Did class B kids really do what they were supposed to do - get the teacher who got the the kids to start the fight and damage the auditorium?

[Lexingtonian]

19. they are Other Peoples' Children

and maybe the wise thing is to tell them that adults disagree about this matter, and that there are many lies and foolish things being said and believed Out There.

They do have to conform to their parents' beliefs and authority for five to ten more years, that's the fundamental fact of the situation.