By now it's a cliche to say it, but still: last week was really, really rough.
There were a lot of crummy things that happened in American news, but the Boston Marathon bombing might have been the worst—and the subsequent Friday manhunt the most perversely watchable. Of course, adults aren't the only ones who are swept up in these dark tidings; the kids hear about things as well. Which brings us to this week's Hey Mom & Dad question:
How much of the Boston bomber manhunt did you let your kids watch last week, if any? Generally speaking, how much of the violence in the news do you let you kids see and how do you discuss tragic incidents with them?
Take a look at what people had to say and join the conversation in the comments section.
Mark Kempe: "Speak the truth. Evil is evil. Evil is, as evil does!" — Wheaton Patch Facebook
Cathy Fischer: "Yes, no need to shield them from it. [My kids are] ages 10 and 16. They see the good and bad and hopefully realize in the end, the good wins!" — Darien Patch Facebook
Frank Koral: "When my kids were little, violent acts were not glorified by the TV networks; they were a 'blip' on the 10:00 news, long after the kids were in bed. Today, the same violent act is shown all day, every day, for weeks! If a lunatic wants attention, the media shows him/her just how to get it. Very stupid!" — Glen Ellyn Patch Facebook
Krystal Himes-Barrett: "We have a three-year-old and we did not watch it with him around, and honestly I barely watch the news anymore because it's all bad stuff."— Lisle Patch Facebook
Gary Nickleski: "We did not let the kids watch any of the Boston attack or aftermath, they're only five and eight; we really don't think it's appropriate at that age. However if they were to come to me with any questions I would surely answer them in an age-appropriate manner." — Lemont Patch Facebook
Holly Welko Van Howe: "Both of my kids, 10 and 11, saw whatever was on the news. My husband and I sat with them, answered all of their questions , and kept them updated. There's no reason to shelter our kids to the violence in the world. They live in this world, too. We'd rather talk to them about the world than hide them away and pretend it doesn't exist."— Lemont Patch Facebook
Stacey Coscino Bogumil:"Absolutely not. But my kids are only 10 and seven. Maybe I am sheltering them too much - but I don't let them watch the news. They don't need to know words like 'murder,' 'rape,' and the other hideous things covered." — Elmhurst Patch Facebook
Robin Rogacki Scaro:"My son is 14 and he knew about it. They talked about it at school. My daughter is eight, and I did tell her about it and she saw the bits on the news when they replayed the bombs going off. But none of the people that were hurt. She knows about the eight-year-old dying. She was very sad about that. That was the hardest thing to talk about. But then over the weekend, she and some neighbor kids made bunch of signs they were handing out that said 'Pray for Boston.' I thought that was great. I don't lie to her about things that happen. I am just conscious if how many and what details I give." — Elmhurst Patch Facebook
Janice Lindegard: "My daughter, 10 years old, knew nothing about it until Thursday because I had kept it from her. She found out about when she overheard a conversation. I asked if she wanted to hear about it and she said yes, so we sat in front of the TV for hours together. I told her things would be gross and sad and scary. She wanted to know everything, so we hopped around from channel to channel... Yesterday, when Tsarnaev woke up... she watched it for half an hour, learning so much more than she'd seen in a week of bomber coverage. I think we turned her into a news junkie."— Naperville Patch Facebook
Melinda Abney Kaiser: "My kids heard on NPR, but we have a no TV anytime within our home rule so they didn't see any of it..." — Western Springs Patch Facebook
Violeta Corsei: "My grown-up sons, 19 and 21, refused to watch because media gives to much time to people that do not deserve such attention or their names to be repeted constantly. It inspires others to do the same."— Oak Park-River Forest Patch Facebook
Agnes Jury: "Just the basics. No images if violence or police. Simply and honestly." — Geneva Patch Facebook
Tracy Paddy: "My kids are older: 14 and up, so while we are careful of what news source we use; it was on the television, and if they were interested, they could watch it. It opened up some conversations, though. And also observations regarding bad decisions made by news sources." — St. Charles Patch Facebook