Moms Talk: The 9/11 Talk

This Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Sept. 11, 2001, is, like Dec. 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy," in the words of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The 10th anniversary of 9/11 will be commemorated by solemn ceremonies nationwide—unlike the 10th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, which was, by most accounts, largely ignored in the days leading up to and including Dec. 7, 1951.

News reports about 9/11's victims and their families, the survivors, and those heroic first responders who headed to the scenes of the four plane crashes—more than 400 of whom died in New York City—have already begun filling newspapers, websites and airwaves.

And rightfully so.

In a modern media world in which ink is dedicated to and airwaves are filled with mostly nonsensical, bragadocious, often sophomoric political banter, stories that should be told and must not be forgotten are being shared.

Children have no doubt seen them or heard them.

Many of these children were not even alive or were infants that infamous day when al-Qaida terrorists hijacked four American planes, successfully crashing two into the World Trade Center's Twin Towers and one into the Pentagon, with the fourth taken to the ground by heroic passengers in rural Pennsylvania before reaching its destination in Washington D.C.

The Navy Seals' slaying of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan on May 1 gave many parents a chance to talk about 9/11 with their younger children—those in that 8 to 11 years old range.

Talking about bin Laden and 9/11 made for a good "Moms Talk" topic then, and we believe it still does now. Many of you may be looking for pointers on how to talk to your children about our modern "date which will live in infamy."

So, GT Patch asks: How do you suggest handling discussing the anniversary of this historical moment with your 8-year-old daughter? Your 11-year-old son?

Editor's Note: "Moms Talk" is a feature on GloucesterTownship.Patch.com that seeks to reach out to moms and families.

GloucesterTownship.Patch.com invites you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for mothers and their families right here in Gloucester Township.

Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of experts and smart moms take your questions, give advice and share solutions, utilizing the comment box below.

Moms, dads, grandparents and the diverse families who make up our community will have a new resource for questions about local neighborhood schools, the best pediatricians, 24-hour pharmacies and the thousands of other issues that arise while raising children.

Moms Talk will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic.

So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation today—and every Wednesday!—at 1 p.m. Can't make it for the 1-2 p.m. chat? Then drop a line for our Moms Council and readers to consider.