I stopped off at a bookstore to use the bathroom on my way home from a job interview (where I did not take my own advice as was a little bit too myself). Anyhow, coming out of the head, I was in the children section and looked at the titles of some books- Israeli Mossad and Hitler Youth, I asked a clerk if this was the children section and are we asking them to be too grown-up? She handed me a copy of the Hunger Games and told me her daughter had to read the newspaper as a school project. Her daughter conclusion was that the strife in Syria was just like in the Hunger Games. My question is- is it good to be opening their eyes to reality so young and possibly damaging their time of youth? and/or is our children's fiction too violent and would there be confusion about real violence and fiction violence? Or am I just an over-protective person?

The reality is you can't protect them from what goes on in the world as much as you want to. All you can do is strengthen them, talk and reassure them. Storm heaven for their protection and build a safe home for them to come home to.

Also most youth do understand violence in the media, books, tv etc is not real and appropriate for real life. But then I have a girl. Maybe it effects boys more?

Personally it seems like people are being far too protective of their children. Rather then protecting them should you not be allowing them to see the world for what it is without encouraging them to do so and let them learn. They will be potential prey to people that look for gullable individuals later on in life otherwise wouldnt they ?

Although I do have a preference toward the ideals for raising children in a way that allows them to learn from their mistakes and allows them to deal with adversity. Seems to me as though people that have been overprotected as children dont deal with stress well at all as they become adults.

Hummm call me old school I say let them have a childhood they will learn about the rest of the world as they grow up....

At least she didn't hand you a copy of Twilight.