I took my twelve year old grand daughter to see "Inconvenient Truth"

[Toots]

I think I made a mistake. she stayed up into the night crying because she thinks in fifty years the Earth will be gone. I thought I was doing a good thing by making her aware but twelve is apparently too young for such thoughts. I think the movie should have a rating of sorts maybe PG-13. I am not sure how to deal with her fears now. How do I reassure her everything will be okay? I feel like an idiot....

[julialnyc]

1. Well unlike so many problems in the world

There is actually a way to solve this problem. One of the great things about the movie is that is was just as eye opening on the problem as it was about the solutions. You just have to assure her that smarter minds will prevail and elect better leaders to stop global warming (that's what I keep having to tell myself anyway!).

[femmedem]

24. I'm 44, and it was pretty scary for me, too.

I hope your daughter is okay. She surely hasn't done anything to bring this about. But I would like to see a few more adults get that upset. I fear we won't make the radical changes necessary to survive unless a majority of us are terrified of the consequences of inaction.

Edit to say: Oops, I replied to the wrong message. I meant to reply to the OP. Sorry.

[phillinweird247]

2. Help her funnel that fear into working for change. nt

[leftchick]

3. I took my nine and eleven year old boys

my nine year old was a little more overwhelmed than the older boy but did not cry. I thought it ended in a more upbeat fashion explaining what we can do now to help prevent the ultimate crises. I explained to them how they are the future and they need to explain to others their age what needs to be done to protect the planet. My girlfriend and I actually thought it would make a great field trip for the middle school children!

[Toots]

7. It did end more upbeat

My wife went away feeling much better about world affairs than before we went to the movie but that seemed lost on my grand daughter. She just may be more sensitive than most children, I don't know but she was truly upset and wouldn't be reassured. :shrug: Maybe today will be better after she gets up and we talk some more..

[Bluerthanblue]

15. your Girlfriend and you are so right...

I had a meeting at my sons school, and the Principal explained that was going to be the focus of the classroom for the fall- that the middle school classes would go to the movie, and use that as a spring-board for the first semester-

It's going to be interesting- I wish all schools would do this- my son goes to a small 'alternative school' on scholarship- we are SO fortunate, he would have been lost without this school- instead, he is blossoming, and growing-

Maybe parents could encourage their schools to get this on the agenda???

This is something so important, and so relevant to the entire world.

peace,
blu

[Democrat 4 Ever]

4. Assure her that isn't too late to start correcting our mistakes and

then help her to get active. Her generation is going to be the one to save us from ourselves. These kids get it, turn that energy and worry into something positive. Start with making a list of things she can do personally and then her family, friends, school, town, state and country, etc. Help her understand she is part of the answer not part of the problem.

We need heroes and she can be one.

[femrap]

25. Fear Fear Fear....please don't your granddaughter

take this path of life. So many do. Show her what she can do to help the environment. Start with recycling cans, glass, paper, etc. Go plant a tree. Get her some books on what she can do. She will eventually be teaching her parents about how to conserve and recycle.

Please use reason to help her conquer Fear. I swear this nation loves to use Fear to control people....as does lots of religions.

Maybe this was a good thing to happen.....finding out that she has Fears. Now you can help her conquer her Irrational Fears. I think this experience presents a great opportunity.

[ClassWarrior]

5. Take her to the web site advertised at the end of the film and...

...let her channel that emotion into positive work for change. You're not an idiot, and she won't be scarred for life. You just need to guide her now.

NGU.

[WildClarySage]

6. Help her make a list of things she can do to help-

like recycling at home, not letting the water run when she brushes her teeth, writing to the editor to encourage others to do what they can, etc. Tackle those fears with a positive plan and that will help her to overcome their hold on her.

[Ian David]

8. I don't suggest cheering her up by renting Soylent Green. n/t

[bbernardini]

9. Or family movie night, featuring "The Day After" and "Threads"? n/t

[Ian David]

10. You know what movie upset me when I was about her age?

The Day After
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Day After is an American TV-movie aired on November 20, 1983 on the ABC network. The film presented a theoretical situation which led to nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union, and its consequences as felt by residents of Lawrence, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. The film was written by Edward Hume and directed by Nicholas Meyer.

<snip>

The end result is that most of America's major cities are destroyed, the military is decimated, and the United States becomes a fallout wasteland. It is implied that a similar effect has been enacted on the USSR. After the death and destruction has been allowed to occur, the President of the United States declares (via a radio address) that a ceasefire exists between the USA and USSR.

All of this though is meant as background for an exposition on the plausibility of nuclear war, and its effects. The film was to emphasize that "the day after" a nuclear attack could exist, countering the idea, popular since the early 1950s, that a nuclear war would result in a simple and instant end of the world. The Day After continues a tradition begun in the anti-nuclear movement of the 1950s of emphasizing the grisly details of radiation poisoning, the vast numbers of casualties overwhelming hospitals, and the lack of cohesiveness in trying to organize post-attack governance and food supplies.

The film provoked political debate in the United States, as it was no doubt intended to do. Some argued that the film underscored the true horror of nuclear conflict, and that to prevent this possibility, the United States should both renounce the first use of nuclear weapons in conflict, which had been a cornerstone of NATO defense planning in Europe. Those arguing for a nuclear freeze also relied on the sheer horror depicted in the film for support.

More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_After

It wasn't long after, that I bought the book, "Nuclear War: What's in it for you," by Ground Zero. I read it cover-to-cover, over-and-over.

Product Details:
ISBN: 0671637533
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pub. Date: January 1982
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&isbn=0671637533&itm=9



I was even younger when I saw this horror:

Holocaust (miniseries)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Holocaust was a television miniseries broadcast on NBC in 1978.

It tells the story of the Holocaust from the perspective of the Weiss family of German Jews, and from the point of view of a German family where the husband is a rising SS member who degrades into a merciless participant of the atrocity. Holocaust highlighted numerous important events which occurred during World War II, such as Kristallnacht, the creation of Jewish ghettos and later, the use of gas chambers. The series ultimately attempted to portray the atrocity of this genocide to viewers.

Holocaust was broadcast in four parts from April 16 to April 19. It was extremely popular, earning a 50% market share. It was also popular in Europe and had a major impact when it was broadcast in West Germany. It starred Meryl Streep, Rosemary Harris, James Woods and Michael Moriarty, as well as a large supporting cast. Reportedly, the impact was such that many individuals were moved to publicly confess their guilt for their part in the atrocity.

The miniseries also created controversy for supposedly trivializing the Holocaust. The television format meant the realism was muted, whilst the fact that NBC made a great deal of money from advertising sold around it led to accusations that the tragedy was being commercialized. Its creators defended it by arguing that it was an important factor in developing and maintaining awareness of the Holocaust.

More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocaust_(miniseries)

[wtmusic]

11. Our generation had us running for the bomb shelter

I think she'll be fine with it. It is scary...to everyone. As another poster said, try to have her funnel that fear toward change.

[postulater]

35. Yeah, the nuns told us the Russians were going to bomb us

in 1960. I spent many nights awake watching out my bedroom window waiting for them to come. Then at the end or 1960 when they hadn't arrived, I thought back and questioned whether they didn't actually say THE 1960s! So I had to stay awake at nights and watch for nine more years. By that time I had begun to not trust those darn nuns.

[wtmusic]

38. Well, their hearts were probably in the right place

but it's probably a good idea not to trust anyone who takes a vow of celibacy

:thumbsup:

[MadAsHell]

12. I picked up a neat pamplet after I saw the movie that might help ...

Here is a URL for the same info ...

http://www.climatecrisis.net/pdf/10things.pdf

I would think most of the items a well within the reach of anyone. Maybe she can put it on the frig and use it a checklist to mark her own steps. Nothing overcomes fear like action...

[Bluerthanblue]

13. My 13yr old will be seeing it in school this sept- and I

am so grateful to his Principal for feeling this is such an important issue to get across to EVERYONE-
Did you stay clear through to the end? Where the long list of ways 'we' can make a difference are shown, one after another???

I understand how her distress would worry you- but please hear this- Children, and your GD is still a child- have a way of expressing so honestly, clearly, and profoundly the very same feelings that adults experience, but manage to deny- avoid- cover over or silence.

Your GrandDaughters response is a healthy, intelligent, appropriate response. My best advice to you would be to let her talk- ask her what she feels, what she believes she can do to change the future- help her come up with reasonable actions and plans to put her passion into concrete actions. Encourage her not to 'give-in' to the notion that it is a 'done-deal'-

That, complacient "oh well, lets all just eat cake" attitude-

She, and my son, and the children of today hold the future in their hands- It's not fair- but it is reality- There IS much we can do- but we can't wait - and that IS reason to cry, and fear, and be upset- but after the tears, after the shock, comes the energy and determination to WAKE UP this SLEEPING monster- the monster that is US-

You did a difficult but wonderful thing Toots- the best way to reassure her that everything will be ok, is to empower her with ideas and ways to do everything she can to help make the future 'ok'- because lying to her, and glossing over the truth, only teaches kids that adults lie, even those we love and trust the most- and lying to make us 'feel better' in the short term, is no better than lying maliciously.

Your GD, my sons, and the youth who are not lulled into consumerism, mind-numbing activities, but who actually are willing to 'face the inconvienent truth' about the future are the hope and the minds, and the people who mobilize others to stop this train-wreck.

Kudo's to you for taking her, and for caring so much for her, and the future. Watching those we love face difficult truths, without running away, or pretending 'everything will be ok'- isn't easy- but it is so important- and is the truly 'loving' thing to do even though it doesn't feel like it.

peace, and comfort to you both-
blu

[godhatesrepublicans]

14. Anyone else old enough to have been given dog tags in elementary

... school so if there was an atomic war, they'd know which child skeleton in the school rubble was you? No? Just me?

Damn I'm old...

[Bluerthanblue]

17. no, but I remember

duck and cover, and people digging bomb shelters.
We had our 'root cellar' full of canning jars with peaches, and pickles, and such for years-

I was more afraid of the 'flying monkey s' and Mrs. Gultch.... to me, they were 'real' threats.
That and rabid foxes (there was an outbreak in our area during those years).
I didn't understand 'the bomb'-

Primary grades in the mid-sixties.

"the good old days"....?????!!!

[Bandit]

19. Don't remember dog tags but remember Civil Defense Drills

and blackouts and air raid sirens.

[yellerpup]

27. Didn't get the dog tags

But remember the duck and cover drills. "Get under your desk, put your head between your legs, and kiss your ass goodbye. Nobody survives a nuclear bomb!"

[Surya Gayatri]

32. No, you're not the only one

who remembers those dog tags (4th grade I think it was)--although I don't recall being told they were intended specifically to identify us in case of a nuclear holocaust. They were quite the fashion accessory at the time. SG :hi:

[Downtown Hound]

36. My dad told me stories about that

His elementary school was right by a military base, a prime target. They took all the extra "precautions."

[treestar]

16. Don't worry, you're not as bad as my folks

When I was really young I heard all about the Apocalypse from Dad and a few fundie preachers.

Terrified me.

At least there is something that can be done about global warming; it's not a creepy, extraterrestrial sort of thing that threatens to happen any minute.

Suggestions upthread to go to the website seem best to me. Learning some science will be a big relief to the kid - that there is something humans can do.

Also, a kid doesn't have as good perspective, which we may tend to forget. So make sure she understands this isn't happening next week. (Like the Rapture :sarcasm: ).

[donsu]

18. we all should cry - the earth will be dead in 50 yrs. - she's not too

young

[Bandit]

20. Kids this day and age can be pretty melodramatic

I would be willing to bet she will be fine in a day or so and it is good you took her. This is a problem for us all, not just adults. In fact I will venture to say it will be a child no different than your grand daughter that provides the energy and impetus to create the changes needed.

[Javaman]

21. Unless we teach the children what their future is going to be like

unless we ALL do something, her future, not just the adults, sadly, will be a lot worse than she or any of us could ever imagine.

Turn her fear into knowledge. Explain how, through things that she can do, things can change.

We as a world are crawling towards a solution when we should be sprinting.

[dave123williams]

22. Well, whatever you do, don't let her see Dr. Strangelove.

[oxbow]

23. I wrote an article about this a couple of months ago...

maybe it will help you:

On Living Free in an Age of Fear

In all honesty though, my initial response is to just hold her. Hold her and tell her that everything will be ok. Good luck and God bless, Toots :hug:

[IronLionZion]

26. An Inconvenient Truth is the scariest movie I have ever seen

because it's real. And that's why it's effective. Convince her that it's not to late for humanity to fix this mess. As soon as enough good people get on board we will elect better leaders who will start respecting the environment again.

I can not believe the damage that one president has done in so little time.

[intheflow]

28. I did a similar thing when my son was 12.

I brought him to see the movie musical Sarafina, a movie about South African apartheid, as a consciousness-raising experience. Also rated PG-13, it boasted Whoopi Goldberg in a leading role. "Whoopi Goldberg, of Sister Act, in another musical?" I thought. "It'll be perfect!" WRONG! Not perfect! He had nightmares for about a week, and actually, Whoopi had a very small role. I mean, there was a scene where children were imprisioned and electrocuted!
:scared:

I probably should have heeded the rating warnings... but when Harry Potter (for example) gets a PG-13, who can know how a PG-13 movie will affect a pre-teen? Don't beat yourself up too badly over it. With luck you've created an environmental activist!

[rman]

29. So, different kids take it differently. I think it's over the top

to suggest a PG-13 rating, based on experience with one child.

Going on my personal experience, "Bambi" should have a PG-13 rating...

[LWolf]

30. My thoughts:

This movie is not playing anywhere near me, yet some of my 6th - 8th grade students have seen it. They must have traveled out of this area for summer vacation. They've been emailing me with thoughts and requests to join the "virtual march" to stop global warming:

http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/default.asp

I think this is a perfect opportunity to teach your daughter to take action when faced with unacceptable conditions. Besides joining the "virtual march," that site has information about what people are doing, and what she can do personally. In addition, the site for the movie has more:

http://www.climatecrisis.net/

What better way to feel connected and positive than to be pro-active about something important?

[bloom]

31. I don't know that everything will be OK

I think it would good to emphasize that people adapt.

People might be eating jellyfish instead of steak soon, for instance.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x62160

Also - find ways she can take action.

Plant trees. Recycle if you're not already. Don't mow more than necessary - don't use fertilizers - plant wildflowers. Eat less or no meat.

Etc.

[tinfoil tiaras]

33. My Cousin's 11 and REALLY wants to see it

She was uber jealous when I told her I saw it when it was in Jackson for like 3 days....

I guess it affects different people differently. But then again, she's interested in this kind of stuff (global warming, etc).

[Lisa]

34. I still think you did the right thing ...

I don't think 12 is too young to see this movie. It might be that she has something else on her mind -- she is almost a teenager, and that's a time when people have a lot of stuff on their minds and may not have had enough life experience to juggle a bunch of different concerns and see past them. I know I was like that -- I got depressed about nuclear war and endangered species when I was about her age, and it wasn't because of any particular news item I saw or book which I read. Over time, my perspective has lengthened a bit, so I tend to respond to things a bit less intensely now (maybe I'm just tired!).

If anything, once she calms down a bit, she might be able to see (with your help) that the situation is actually more hopeful than it initially appears, because there are a lot of people, in positions of power (like Mr. Gore himself) who are concerned and want to do something. (Trying to get anyone to take global warming seriously, back in the 1980s, was extremely difficult -- I know this from my own experience.)

I work for a guy who until recently was at the UN environment department, looking at global warming issues ... and he told me that he sometimes feels sad about things too, so tell your granddaughter that this is not uncommon! But it does help a bit, to know enough about the situation to perhaps be able to fix things. Your granddaughter might eventually end up with a job in this area!

[InaneAnanity]

37. Give her some ice cream

Tell her to enjoy it now, because eventually all the cows will be dead.

Just kidding.