How Did You Talk to Your Kids About Kobe Bryant?

Plus, Super Bowl ethics and more. |

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

SUBSCRIBE to TIME Magazine My husband and our daughters are huge sports fans. For the sake of family fun, I try to be interested. But I'm not fooling anyone. I've been preparing for Super Bowl Sunday, when traditionally I fake an understanding of first downs and Roman numerals and try to show excitement about something besides the snacks. But I wasn't prepared for Kobe Bryant's death. No one was. This TIME headline said it well: "Kobe's Basketball Greatness Made Him a Hero to So Many Kids. What Happens When a Child's Hero Dies?" When the news hit my household, I struggled through conversations about unexpected loss, the risks of air travel, and how this must feel for Kobe's wife and other children. I tried to keep my tone positive, focusing on the father-daughter bond (Bryant and his daughter Gianna were on their way to one of her basketball games), the importance of championing girls in sports, and explaining that celebrating accomplishments of even a short lifetime can help with the sting of an untimely death. I think real sports fans would say my attempt at positivity was a rookie effort, but at least I tried. How did this news event impact your household? Did it lead to conversations you weren't expecting? Please write to me at andrea@time.com. I'll look forward to reading your messages while pretending to pay attention to the Super Bowl. Best, . MORE STORIES Is it unethical to watch football with your kids? TIME's sports writer, Sean Gregory, explores. Youth sports leagues are big business. (Plus, share the TIME for Kids version of that story with your family.) Safety concerns about tackle football have made flag football the fastest-growing team sport in the U.S. How to pick the best sport for your children.  Not a sports fan? Check out these articles in TIME and TIME for Kids about a new disease that is attacking banana crops. To Unsubscribe You have received this e-mail because you are subscribed to this newsletter from TIME.com. Unsubscribe here. Update Email Click here to update your email address. Privacy Policy Please read our Privacy Policy, or copy and paste this link into your browser: https://time.com/privacy TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. For Further Communication Please contact parents@time.com TIME USA, LLC 3 Bryant Park New York, NY 10036 Connect with TIME Find TIME on Facebook Follow TIME on Twitter Subscribe to more TIME Newsletters Get TIME on your Mobile Device Get TIME on your iPad Subscribe to RSS Feed