To think the teacher could have handled this better?

[MrsSnape]

DS1 went to call for his friend this morning on the way to school. The friend then tells DS that he's heard Britain and Russia are going to war and that Russia are about to start bombing Britain. He saw it on the internet (so was probably a comment made by a daft kid on some internet forum).

DS1 REALLY takes this kind of stuff to heart, he panics about everything from war to global warming and is convinced we're all going to die untimely deaths (he's 9!)

So he obviously starts panicking ... they get to school and DS rushes up to a teacher and says:

DS: "Are Russia going to war with us??"

Teacher: "I don't think so! why?"

ds: "he said he read about it and they're going to start bombing us!"

teacher: "Oh ... I did hear something about that come to think of it ... don't worry though, it was probably nothing".

AIBU to think she could have handled that a bit better? DS will be worrying for weeks now.

[avenanap]

Maybe his teacher doesn't know of his anxieties?

[MrsSnape]

She knows he's sensitive as she was one of the ones who had to console him for months after the tsunami and then again after they watched 'Titanic'.

[more]

But how do you know for sure what the teacher said? Were you there?

[Weegle]

oh god I was so like that as a child, right through my teens. The first Gulf War had me totally panicked. Yes, she probably could have handled it differently but maybe by being upbeat and getting on with things as normal she thought he'd realise it wasn't something to worry about?

[VineGARISHtits]

She told him dont worry it probably nothing, yab a tad u, just speak to her if your concerned.

[starzzz]

why dont you sit down with your son and research on the internet, and reassure him that its not hapenning. My sister was like this too, and if we could proove the danger wasnt there, she would be ok. (she is still terrified of asteroids hitting the earth tho!!)

[Littlefish]

Sounds to me like a busy teacher, a bit distracted with trying to get everyone settled in the morning, with a throw-away placatory sentence.

I think you're being a bit over the top. Just talk to your ds about it.

[MrsSnape]

oh god starzzz, I had the 'asteroid thing' for years! I used to lie awake at night listening out for a huge bang, shivering at the thought of us all dying....

I wonder where DS gets it from...

[unavailable]

Tell him not to worry - as the imminent collapse of the banking system and consequent breakdown of law and order will mean we will all be too busy to notice !

[Bridie3]

Sometimes with children it is best to adopt an unbothered approach. I was a hyper-sensitive child and sometimes people responding VERY sensitively too me wasn't as helpful as them being kind but matter-of-fact.

[Bettyboobird]

MrsSnape- what would you have liked the teacher to say? Because in all honesty it sounds like the sort of respose I would have given! ie. "It's probably nothing, don't worry..."

[memoo]

what could the teacher have said?

I think she basically gave the kind of response that I would have done, especially first thing in the morning when the doors open and 30 kids all hurl themselves at you shouting "Miss Miss".