Seems like everywhere you look there is something going on with a celebrity. Who is on drugs, who committed suicide, who is sleeping with who, etc...I found this article under the 7-9 years section of Ages & Stages in Parenting magazine, August 2010 issue. This may shed a little light on how to give an explanation to our kids who ask questions about their favorite stars.
Fallen Heroes
Sports stars, pop singers, movie and TV actors--the list of celebrity idols caught up in scandal seems to get longer every day. You can't hide the headlines anymore, but explaining infidelity or drug use at this age can be tricky. What to know.
Assess his knowledge: "Kids this age are starting to piece together information they get from friends and the Internet," explains Kristen Eastman, Psy.D., a child psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic. As a result, your child may have only a vague idea about Tiger's transgressions or Lilo's antics, so probe a little: "What did you hear about the baseball steroids scandal? Do you know what steroids do?"
Be straightforward: Try not to shirk his questions (or tell him to ask his father): instead, correct any misconceptions, while keeping things age-appropriate. For example, an 8-year-old is probably not prepared to hear what infidelity is, so you might say "It's when someone who's married falls in love with another person."
Seize the moment: Your child may be sad or even mad about what a beloved star has done. "Talking about this kind of public downfall gives you a chance to add your own family values into the mix," says Eastman. Whether to judge other people, give a second chance, or accept an apology for mistakes are topics that open the door to discussing fairness, generosity, and honesty.
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