How do we miss these things that are on the web for six years before someone notices and complains about them? In order to help children cope with disasters such as 9/11, fires, floods, etc., FEMA published a coloring book called A Scary Thing Happened. It was posted on the FEMA For Kids website in 2003 (my favorite page is the interactive map where you can click on your state to find out what disasters you are prone to).It sat there largely unnoticed until last week when it was pulled after complaints about the content including images of the planes flying into the WTC. Sometimes I wonder if these things disturb the kids or the adults.
Fortunately, other web sites have copied and made available the pdf of A Scary Thing Happened so it will live on.
I saw this online last week, but didn't find the full coloring book. I think it's ghastly, but the author strongly defends it and I know nothing about raising children, so I am usually wrong in that area.
ReplyDeleteIs this where I make disparaging comments about conservatives? :-) <-- smiley face. Without adults to point out the psychological aspects, kids will blow many things off and never understand the implications. How many of us doodled planes dropping bombs and the ensuing explosions while we were bored in class? Oops, nowadays that'll get ya kicked out of school.
ReplyDeleteYou know I don't always like defending conservatives, Huck, but this draw your feelings type stuff is a little bit more crunchy granola than they usually go...must have been a holdover from the Clinton administration in there!
ReplyDeleteI was (and still am) so lousy at drawing I probably would have told them off if I was told to draw pictures of how I felt since I can't draw, I would just have seen that as more punishment!
But I don't have (or want) children either, so I have just my distant memories of how bratty I was as a child to go on here.
Do they still make those little hard rubber army men for kids to play with? I musta killed a million of those guys growing up. They're probably not PC now. And/or a choking hazard.
ReplyDeleteI was just at Stonefire pizza this weekend with some friends and you could get those hard little army men as a prize for like 10 tickets... so they still exsist..
ReplyDeleteAs for the coloring book.. I dont understand what happened to parents sitting down and talking to their kids about difficult situations.. seems like there has to be a book or a video explaining everything now a days.
I've raised three kids but I'm no expert. I don't think this is a coloring book you just give to a kid.
ReplyDeleteIt may have a place if the child experienced the disaster first hand and someone sits with them and talks about it while they express themselves. Every child reacts to things in their own way. One way may work for one child and something else for another.
I think sometimes too much is done trying to help and it just makes it worse. Kids are bombarded with way too much media.
ORBS.My son has a bucket of the army guys. It's kinda cool to watch him play with them. He doesn't like to kill any of them off so he makes them play hide and go seek. My good little boy with the big heart!..........
ReplyDeleteAs for the book, I'm on the fence with this. I mean they need to know (if they ask) how to deal with some situations but I won't push the bad news on them.