I'm happy to talk about sex with my kids. Masturbation, penises, vaginas, why Bratz dolls are sluts. I don't care! What sends me into incoherent explanations while sweating and shaking and trying to change the subject is talking about the news. But here it is, an easy 8 step guide to talking to your children about the news.
I read the first step, "Explore the age appropriateness of the news you allow your children to see" with great interest because I can never seem to determine what is or isn't okay for them to see and how about we watch Sesame Street guys? Let's go back to simpler times. Yes I know you're eight-and-a-half.
According to the site "Talking With Kids About Tough Issues", preschoolers are too young to know the difference between fantasy and reality when they watch the news so that a car wreck on the news is the same as a car wreck on a television show. Of course they are likely to be as afraid of the things they see on the news as they are to be scared of fictional things like ghosts or dragons.
Kids between the age of 6 and 10 (there's us!) are most vulnerable
to what they see on the news because they lack perspective. When they
see troubling news (kidnappings, school shootings, deadly weather) on
the television they are likely to believe these things happen more
frequently than they really do. In fact, I know a lot of adults who
fall victim to that kind of thinking. The important thing at this age
is helping your children develop perspective on the frequency of tragic
events.
With kids 11 or older you have less control over what they see
and most have the ability to critically watch the news. It is important
to check in with your teenagers though and get their opinions and
thoughts on things. The rest of the tips are great as well, I love
lists. They make me feel as if every problem has a solution.
