Children Can't Unsee It

Have you ever seen a movie with unnerving scenes that come back to you every once in a while? Much as you try, you cannot unsee the sequences. You might not have known exactly what was going to happen in the story, but you knew you were not going to see an English flower show.

Wednesday is the Inauguration of the 46th President of the United States. We know we will see a traditional swearing in ceremony. We do not know what else may happen, but we know it is not going to be a picnic. There are threats of violence across the country. We see Federal forces camped out in the Capitol and in state capitols. We see big guns and fences and barricades. The weaponry will be a major part of the visuals we get along with the ceremony.

This is scary for children. The media will have split screens showing multiple locations with possibly multiple acts of conflict. On Live Stream, we get no warning before something violent happens. What is shown cannot be unseen.

You know by now that my soapbox pitch is to let children be children as long as possible. Minimizing their exposure to stress and strife allows them time to solidify their ability to hope and trust, and develop resilience. I suggest that you wait a day or two to show your children the Inauguration. Wait until you can find a version of the ceremony meant for children, Search for a version that shows the scenes we want them to remember; the history and the groundbreaking firsts. Find a video that focuses on the traditions and the positive messages of hope for the future of our country. This is what we want them to see.