Bad analogy. Cops saving a grandma from a thug would have been closer.
The kid didn’t see the thug die.
I’m sure the kid will be fine.
Me too.
He does need counseling. There is a reason kids cannot drive cars, get married, vote, drink alcohol or join the military. They are too young to handle it.
Taking a life might be the necessary thing to do, but it can be hard to process as an adult, much less a 12 year old child. At the least, some contact should be made with mental health providers to make sure the child is handling this appropriately, and there should be some follow up in case it troubles the child later on.
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What does a shrink know about it?
You do realize they often create problems, right?
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It was a very apposite analogy; pithy and succinct as well.
Often, perhaps, but not always. Appropriate contact with the child, where the therapist listens instead of pontificating is fine. Depends on the therapist.
The parent is in charge here, they can make sure the therapy has a set goal and objective. If the therapist tries some nonsense, there are ways to address it.
But denying a child therapy for an extraordinary event like this is potentially very damaging for the child. I keep reading in this thread that the kid will be fine because he saved a loved one. But these are adults saying this and we are talking about a child, they don’t have the same capacity to reason things out the way we do.
It is not inappropriate to at least interview him and find out where his head is at, how he is processing what happened, and following up from time to time. It would be the right thing to do.
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Not apposite. Not contemporaneous.
He didn’t see the effect of his decision. He’ll be fine.
Whoa! Who’s “denying a child therapy”? Slow down there Doc.
The kid was very brave and he saved his grandmother.
He’s damned if he did and damned if he didn’t because a thug invaded the home and forever changed his life.
Better to act to protect than living the rest of his life knowing he could have yet didn’t.
Given the two choices, I’d feel less guilty about putting down a rabid animal than letting a rabid animal kill my loved one.
I am not arguing this at all, the child did a heroic thing.
But the aftermath should be considered.
Some folks here are saying the kid is fine and doesn’t need therapy.
I am saying talk to the kid, find out where his head is at and how he is processing all of this and follow up from time to time to make sure he is okay.
By a trained therapist. Perhaps one who specializes in military PTSD.
Doesn’t need is not denying.
Nobody here can deny the child mental health.
Why do you think he doesn’t need to see a mental health provider? Other than that you “think he will be fine.”
Because of what occurred and how. And that I raised a boy.
And know shrinks.
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Ok. I don’t see a large difference between seeing the person he shot die, and then learning later that they died because of the gunshot.
I don’t want to assume, but I’m guessing your child never shot and killed anyone so there is no direct experience with this situation.
And finally, your personal experience with shrinks is also irrelevant.
The days of “walking it off”, “rubbing some dirt on it”, and “keep it to yourself” are long gone. Seeking help for problems and talking about issues is the new thing. You should embrace it.
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That’s because you’ve never seen either one.
I’m not discussing his life on this forum.
Why?
And we see the results.
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I’d be more concerned about this boy’s mental health if he’s been cooped up for a year and being schooled by ■■■■■■■ zoom meetings!
This kid will be fine. When he gets to be older and somebody raises the incident trying to make him out to be some kind of nefarious creature he gets to look them in the eye and say “yeah, I greased that guy after he shot my Grandmom so he wouldn’t kill her, my Grandpa and me. What the ■■■■ you got?”
Atta boy!
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And his Uncle’s.
And his own.
His friends and other kids in school will look at him as a hero. He’ll receive awards. From the local sheriff office. From the cops. Maybe Chamber of Commerce. Bullies will know to leave him alone. “He already killed someone once. Don’t mess with that kid…” Kids of snowflake parentage will step aside for him.
People worried about his “psychological damage” are just jealous because he’s already more accomplished than they ever will be.
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Or, perhaps we simply care about a child’s well being.
One or the other…
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