When I was a kid, I was terrified of Muammar Gaddafi.
Yeah, I was probably a different kid. I watched Tom Brokaw every night with my parents. WAVY news before Brokaw came on. I watched the news with my grandparents. I sometimes read the paper.
I was 8 years old when we cracked down on Gaddafi with sanctions. His messages to the United States were my worst nightmares. I was a well informed kid by default, but I didn’t have the adult brain to process everything going on. He haunted my mind so much, especially at night.
Gaddafi terrified me beyond all reason. I was so scared of nuclear war and bombs, I didn’t like to be away from my parents. Especially Daddy, because Dads can handle nuclear war, by the way. Well, mine can.
My parents fought my fear with facts. I read books on our military might and learned about how Gaddafi hid from us. I kept that method of fighting my fears for a long time and it’s really effective! Information & facts can silence the imagination of fear. When you are educated, you are equipped.
I was a news addict post 9/11. Weren’t we all? For years I had 24 hour news stations playing as my background. It felt like I had to know everything all the time. The panic of 9/11 never really leaves a military spouse, I guess. Or maybe all of America, in a way. I was pregnant with my second child when Gaddafi was killed. I wasn’t happy or sad. I was relieved, in a way. My nightmare was truly gone.
But then, one day, my oldest asked me a question with fear in his eyes about something he had seen on the news. I suddenly snapped into the reality of what I was creating. He couldn’t understand the pain of what he had seen and I couldn’t help it with information. The military might wouldn’t help it. There were no easy answers.
The world was different. I turned off the news.
I know this is just my view. You don’t have to follow it. We all deal with our fear in different ways. But I will ask that you be aware of the young minds in the room. The brains that don’t fully develop for years still. The concrete reassurances that none of us have right now.
Informing our children about reality is important! Especially since their lives are so impacted by COVID-19. They may have so many questions, too. It’s worth being a filter for them. Tell the truth softly. Reassure them that you’re doing important things to stay safe. Pray together if you believe in that. Find the fun in the struggle. These are all such important things to protect the minds of not only the youngest, but us as well. Be informed and then turn off the news.
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