Thinking back

Your story could be mine Greenfinch my Dads father was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme 101 yrs ago on July 1st they never met as Dad was born in September that year. He is also on the memorial at Thiepval.
A terrible time for everyone, I'm thankful neither my son or my grandsons have had to go to war as millions of young men back then did.

And it is hard to know how to talk to children about all this. It is so horrific.

Don't talk to small children about it, would be my advice, later on when they start asking questions tell them about the members of the family who were involved.

I combined my family photos from the Scottish side of my family - lots of young men in uniform form 1914-1918 with the family photos of a German master, who also taught history at the school where I taught. Our 14-15 year olds were fascinated, and instead of regarding war as a wonderful adventure, which sadly is the result of a great many films, they realised the human cost, as we both had grand uncles we never got to know, as they were killed 20-30 years before we were born.

You do not have to describe all the horrors of war to children when you talk of it, anymore than you would describe to a child what a paedophile might do to them, when warning of Stranger Danger.

My DGC (now 6 & 10) have grown up knowing one of their grandfathers died when their mummy was only 5 and that my sister died in a road accident. They also know that Grandma's grandfather died in WWI together with two of her great-uncles and a cousin and they have been shown the gallantry medals won by them.

My younger grandchild has already acquired enough knowledge of current conflicts to tell his DM that he is glad he doesn't live in Syria.