So you have a bright child.

These are things I do know.

1. Children learn by example. What you model for children they will do. What you say will usually go in one ear and out the other.

2. Discipline your children or the world will do it for you. Your children will not grow up to be perfect.  Some will have trouble managing money, others will be disorganized. Work on what they need to function in society.

3. The next is in respect to the three friends of the Dzhokar Tsarnaev.. Notice the older brother had no friends. Only a wife who worked 80 hours a week.

- Try to instill self confidence and the ability to recognize when a friend will get you in trouble. It looks easy to say with such a horrendous crime. The younger you are, the less able you are to comprehend the magnitude of trouble. We all have funny tales of the stupid things we did as young adults and survived. 

- It's important to share this with a bright child. They are used to being the "good" child. They are much less able to recognize real trouble. They need to know the criminal actions of another person can make them serve time in jail and have  a criminal record.

- A lawyer was speaking to a group of eighth graders and related this story.
A group of late teens were going to each others homes. At each stop, one kid was breaking into unlocked homes and cars stealing items.
 One boy said, where did all this come from. The thief laughed and said what he had been doing. That boy said, "Stop, let me out. " He got out on the side of the highway and walked.
The vehicle was pulled over later that night. Every boy in the vehicle was charged with the crime. The lawyer represented one of the boys who was charged. He said at the end of the trial, he made a point to shake the hand of the boy who got out for his good judgement.

Make sure your good child knows to distance themselves from another child who is engaged in criminal activity. A friend does not involve you in something that can ruin your life. DzhokarTsarnaev is a murderer and he did not care what happened to his three friends. Now each one is in incredible trouble. They are in serious trouble because they are adults. Each one may go to federal prison.

Make sure your child knows no matter what they can discuss something serious and/or life changing without you exploding in anger. If these were your children, you would have sat with them at the police station as they told everything they knew. The American born one had parents who would certainly advised him not to go to the friend's dorm room. The two born in Kgyskstan had parents too far away. I feel more sympathy for them. 

You don't think  anyone will ever meet a criminal. Use this event to educate your child.  Educate them to not have their loyalty be used by someone.

Do I feel sorry for these three 19 year olds. No.
I think the legal system will deal with them fairly. If they have a negative consequence, they are are yet more victims of Tamerlan and Dzhokar Tsarnaev. I feel sorry for the four people who lost their lives, those who lost limbs or were brain damaged or injured by the bombs.