We were traveling when we found out about the events that unfolded yesterday in Boston.  Every chance we got, we took a look at the news on our phones and caught glimpses of television sets airing the news in the airport.  Images of 9/11 instantly came to our minds as we registered each loss of life and it was too hard to fathom.  We lived in NYC in 2001, so these memories are still very real and vivid. One of my friends lost a husband, another lost a sister and many skirted death by a matter of minutes (one was late for work, another was late for a job interview).

Several years prior to 9/11, I watched a good friend pass the finish line during the Boston Marathon, and I have joyous memories from that event. Standing by the finish line was exhilarating and I remember his wife running to congratulate him full of glee.

Who would have ever expected for lives to be lost at the finish line?  Who could imagine so many lives would be ruined by fulfilling a life dream?

I can’t even imagine the 8 year-old who ran to the finish line to hug his dad who was completing the race.  Alive one second, gone the next.  And his family members whose lives are in danger, whilst having to cope with the loss of his life. His six year-old sister, who was a dancer, and may have to have her second leg amputated.  Her mother who was critically injured and may not be able to care for her family when this is over.

The reality of this bombing is different for me.  Thirteen years later, I have two children.  One who is eight and could have easily been that child.

My children noticed the look of fear on our faces as we entered security in the airport, after being cruelly reminded that we are living in a tougher world than ever.

Looking for answers on how to explain this to my children, I turned to Save the Children.  They recommend these 10 tips to help parents, teachers, grandparents and caregivers:

1. Limit television time. While it can be important for adults to stay informed about the situation, television images and reports may be confusing and frightening for children. Watching too many television reports can overwhelm children and even adults. So, limit the number of television reports about the situation you and your children watch.

2. Listen to your children carefully. Try to find out what your child knows and understands about the situation before responding to their questions. Children can experience stress when they do not understand dangerous experiences. Find out what your child knows about the crisis. Then, talk to your child to help him or her understand the situation and ease their concerns.

3. Give children reassurance. Tell children that adults are doing everything they can to protect and help children who have been affected by the tragedy. Also, let them know that if an emergency happens, your main concern would be their safety.  Make sure they know they are being protected.

4. Be alert for significant changes in behavior. Caregivers should be alert to any significant changes in children’s sleeping patterns, eating habits, and concentration levels. Also watch for wide emotional swings or frequent physical complaints. If any of these actions do happen, they will likely lessen within a short time. If they continue, however, you should seek professional help and counseling for the child.

5. Understand children’s unique needs. Not every child will experience a disaster in the same way. As children develop, their intellectual, physical and emotional abilities change. Younger children will depend largely on their parents to interpret events; older children and adolescents will get information from various sources, such as friends and the media. Remember that children of any age can be affected by a disaster. Provide them all with love, understanding and support.

6. Give your children extra time and attention. Children need close, personal attention to know they are safe. Talk, play and, most importantly, listen to them. Find time to engage in special activities with children of all ages.

7. Be a model for your children. Your children will learn how to deal with these events by seeing how you respond. The amount you tell children about how you’re feeling should depend on the age and maturity of the child. You may be able to disclose more to older or more mature children but remember to do so calmly.

8. Watch your own behavior. Make a point of being sensitive to those impacted by the crisis. This is an opportunity to teach your children that we all need to help each other.

9. Help your children return to a normal routine. Children usually benefit from routine activities such as set eating times, bed time, and playing with others.    Parents should make sure their children’s school is also returning to normal patterns and not spending a lot of time discussing the disaster.

10. Encourage your children to do volunteer work. Helping others can give children a sense of control and security and promote helping behavior. During a disaster, children and adolescents can bring about positive change by supporting those in need.

Let me know your tips. How are you coping this week and how much are you telling your children? How interested are your kids in the crisis and how much do you let them see on TV?

These tips are also available online at www.savethechildren.org/cope or to download a PDF in Spanish got to www.savethechildren.org/ayuda.

Last week I attended Bloggy Boot Camp in Boston.  Run by the SITS Girls,  it was 24 hours full of intense learning and schmoozing with some of my favorite bloggers like the gals behind Mommy Niri, Mommy Shorts, Squashed Mom, Sensible Cents, Random Handprints, Cozi and so many others.  I also met a lot of new bloggers and made fabulous connections.

At the conference, I learned new blogging concepts and lessons that I hope to put into action on my personal blog and here on the Ruckus blog.  There were sessions about branding, content, pitches, legalities, photos, monetization and social good.  It was an inspiring, awesome day, and the ladies behind SITS, Tiffany Romero and Francesca Banducci were wonderful hosts.  They are both really, really knowledgeable about SEO, and every chance they got between speakers, they gave us insight and action items.  They wanted to make sue that we all left the conference with not only big ideas, but also strategies.

Here are some of my key takeaways:

1. Amy Bradley Hole at Better Branding kicked off the day talking about branding.  She said that to be a really successful blogger you must understand your guiding principles, the purpose of your site, and what makes you unique – and then stick to it.
2. Erica Voll of Mommy Fabulous talked about how content is key to getting noticed. She talked about crafting killer content for your blog.  One of her suggestions was pop over to Google Trends and see what’s hot on the search engines. Another one is to use lists, reiterating that Google loves “top 10’s”.
3. Carol Schiller of Cozi gave a superb presentation called “6 Essential Things Every Blogger Must Know about Monetizing a Blog, or How to Write Pitches that Don’t Suck”.  She provided terrific information about what makes a good pitch and what a blogger can offer a band.   She said that if you’re pitching a brand to go to a conference, set yourself up as the expert
4. The more pictures, the better your photography gets, according to Lindsey at Modchik.  She shared a few free sites (Flickr Commons, StockXchng, Google Images), as well as a couple of paid sites (iStock Photo, Big Stock Photo) and reminded us to ask permission to use images we find on the web.
5. Katja Presnal from Skimbaco, a longtime hero of mine, gave some powerful tips on working with brands, said that every action you take should build your brand.  She is proof that anyone can take his or her passion to the next level.

Finally, my friend Mommy Niri gave powerful advice on using our social media voice to get involved.  She reminded us that we are powerful and can make the world we live in a better place to live in.  She is proof that there is so much more to blogging than we realize and we need to believe in the power of our words to make a difference.

I highly recommend Bloggy Boot Camp.  If it’s coming to or near your town, you should go.  You can’t beat the price.  It is by far the cheapest of the blogging conferences that I’ve been to or thought about attending.  It’s well-organized.  It was jam packed with session after session, but each session had me thirsty for more.  I never once felt inundated or over-whelmed.  I felt nourished, empowered…everything you want from a blogging conference.

Disclosure: I was not compensated to write this blog post.  I paid my own way to Bloggy Boot Camp.