My boys and I had a talk about school violence.They are 7 and 8 years old, and they need to understand why kids want to hurt each other. They attend a small school and the violence is minor compared to other places, yet it's still kids hurting kids through pushing, punching and harsh words. My oldest told me that it makes him feel sad to think of his friend getting teased because he's different. We talked for about 1/2 hour in their room and then I tucked them in and kissed them goodnight.

As I sat alone afterwards I realized that we were at a crossroads in our relationship. I could ignore their feelings, over react to what they told me or I could help them to deal with what they are seeing and feeling. We can't shelter our children forever, nor can we be there every minute with them, but we can prepare them to do what is right. We can teach them the basic rule: Walk away and get help from an adult. But we can also make them feel safe by hugging them, listening, and assuring them that we will always be in their corner when they need us. We may think they know those things already, but I believe we need to tell our children as many times as it takes for them to understand that we will NEVER stop loving them, no matter what they see going on around them. We should want them to retain the innocence of childhood as long as possible, while at the same time teaching them to confide in us when they witness confusing or difficult things such as school violence. It's a tough world out there but with honesty, love and a great abundance of hugs and kisses perhaps we can prepare them to face it.

About the Author:

Brenda Hyde is Mom to three children, a wife, freelance writer and editor of Seeds of Knowledge.com as well as Old Fashioned Holidays.com.