War etc: how much, how young?

[Acinonyx]

About 3 months ago I picked up a secondhand dvd of Bedknobs and Broomsticks. I vaguely remembered watching it as a child and though dd might find it challenging but ammusing (she was 3.9).

I had totally forgotten that it is set during WW2 and features a mini German invasion and a battle with historical soldiers of all kinds. So we just watched it once and I said it was set a long time ago when there was a war between England Germany.

Last week I mentioned to dd that we might go to Germany next year for a holiday. She immediately looked worried and asked if the 'men that kill would come for us'. I finally figured out that she was thinking of that bloody film. I assured her that that was was finished a long time ago and we are all friends now.

So then she asked 'Is there any more now in any other land?'. Ah. I really don't like to lie to dd, so I said yes, unfortuately there is fighting in some other lands.

I never meant to be protective but dd is very disturbed by references to weapons, killing etc. She asks about death a lot (posted about this before). She's generally rather serious.

She's about to start school and is genreally becoming more aware of the world. What do you do about exposure to all the bad things oout there? Are there appropriate children's sources of news?

I had a very different childhood and temperament and never had the aversion to dark topics that dd has.

[peanutbutterkid]

I imagine you have to filter what U say according to the partic child's sensitivities. So there is no one right answer to Title Q. I tend to err towards saying more rather than less; the world is a harsh place - -- but life 4 British children today is fantastically more sheltered than ever. They can take more bad news than we give them credit for.
Read Angela's Ashes if you don't believe me.