Over dinner this evening, my 10 year old grandson asked "Where will we go when the world ends?". I asked what he meant and he told me that some of the other kids at school were talking about a website that predicted 911, Hurricane Katrina, and now states that the world will end in 2012. He very innocently asked where could we go??? Not understanding that the end of the world would mean the end of life on this planet. How would you answer ?
You can explain that websites can't predict anything and that it's all BS. I think it's still to young to be completely honest if he asked, "but still what if". He still has that beautiful innocence that makes children genuine people and you wouldn't want to deprive him of that. I know a lot of people will disagree with this point. If he was 2 or 3 years older, then I would think that you would tell him what would happen according to his parents religious and/or philisophical point of view. My dad is a TV junkie and so when we visit my folks, my children ask the damndest questions, "Do people really kill each other?" - "what do soldiers do?". The oldest is 4.
I have a 10-year old niece and an 10-year old nephew. While I haven't had this specific conversation with them, I think they could easiliy grasp the concept that the world cannot just "end". The place to start is to ask them for a more specific definition of the world "ending". That will get him thinking for a while. Try to teach the kid some critical thinking skills. Ask him to show you the website. Ask him why he belives this BS is actually true. Maybe next time some other kid lays this kind of BS on him he'll be prepared to refute it. The topic of predictions vs. outcomes is a totally separate discussion, but cleary one that a resonably intelligent 10-year old can get their head around. Bernard
Try the phrase "Don't believe everything you read on the internet." It's now supplanted the former phrase "Don't believe everything you read in the paper."
How would you answer ? Well, I'm a Level VII Operating Thetan (or maybe level VIII, I can't remember) so I'm good. For you non-Thetans, however, I would just tell the kid that there have always been groups that predict the end of the world, and as of yet, they have all been wrong. Also explain that there is no website that predicted these events, contrary to their claim. Also tell him not to believe everything he hears.
I would tell my 11 year old that he would go to hell if he didn't mind his ways and finish his dinner. He would then give me that big gee-haw grin and get some ice cream.
He is a very intelligent and sensitive child. He really took this to heart. His parents usually just say "that's silly" or something of that nature when he asks questions of this type. He knows I will discuss and try to answer his questions. I knew replies from this board would range from serious to obsurd, so thought I would try for a new approach Thanks
Like Tom Cruise I cancel people out. KSW. I'm a Hector 1 and you should tell your kids and nephews that. Let them know Xenu will decide all the ****. Until they are old enough, fill kids heads with junk. Reason sure as hell doesn't work. Makes having them around mildly fun.
To prove the absurdity of the intertoobs, show him aggy's football website & explain how aggy thinks that a) their Spring game from '07 counts as a win b) counts as a win for the '06 season c) counts as a win for the '07 season as well. Explain that only in the "aggy space-time continnum" can that both count & count for two different years. Explain that everyone has their own sense of reality & so long as they don't conflict with your reality in a dangerous way, it's best to let them shuffle off because someone has to collect the aluminum cans off the side of the highway. As to the more important question of where we go, you could start to discuss the heaven / hell / pergatory concepts, reincarnation, karma / kismet, etc. & how the religions of the world view their place in it.
