MamaBearTeacher Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 If not, do you use some other source to keep them up-to-date with what's happening? Are there good "news" web sites for kids? How important do you think it is that they know what is going on in the world and what's most important for them to know? In your opinion, is it not that important before a certain age? Is this something you incorporate into your curriculum/homeschooling in a formal way or just something that you share with your kids informally? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 No. None of us watch the news on tv. We buy the kids God's World News. They like that and it keeps them informed on current events. At least as much as they need to know at this age. They read parts of our local newspaper when we received that but we dropped our subscription after 13 years b/c the paper had shrunk down to nothing. They hear hubby and I discussing the news which we get by reading online and listening to the radio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alte Veste Academy Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 (edited) If not, do you use some other source to keep them up-to-date with what's happening? Are there good "news" web sites for kids? How important do you think it is that they know what is going on in the world and what's most important for them to know? In your opinion, is it not that important before a certain age? Is this something you incorporate into your curriculum/homeschooling in a formal way or just something that you share with your kids informally? Well, my kids are young and DH is a soldier (has deployed 2x to Iraq), so they are never allowed to watch the news. I DVR my favorite morning show and sometimes I will see stories that I will save for them to watch. I will also bring things up that I've seen in the paper. I don't know of any good news web sites but that might be worth looking into. At this point, I am 100% filter. Obviously, that will have to change as they age. I figure it will be just like everything else with my parenting so far; I'll just feel when it is time. I do feel that knowing what's going on in the world is incredibly important. I just don't believe it has to start too young. Edited December 14, 2009 by Alte Veste Academy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 (edited) We did not allow our children to watch the news until they were teenagers. We thought it would destroy their innocence. I remember seeing footage of the Vietnam War on t.v. when I was a child, and it worried me a lot. I didn't want my children to worry, especially about things they could do nothing about. I figured there was time enough for them to learn about bad things that happen in the world, when they were older. Of course, as time went on, they did find out about some bad things -- they weren't living in a bubble. But for the most part, what they knew came from DH and I, and we chose to present these things in a manner that befitted their ages and their understanding. Edited December 14, 2009 by RoughCollie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 We get Weekly Reader and Time for Kids (+science supplement). These are really cheap if you can order enough for a classroom and share between families... My kids don't watch the tv news, though I listen to NPR with them in the car (though sometimes I have to switch stations as well)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Yes but my kids are 17 & 19. I would say that by the time they were in middle school, I stopped shielding them from the news. We often have NPR on in the car, and watch a variety of news channels (turning the channel whenever sports comes on). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 We've never shielded our kids from the news. And it has never bothered them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 I never, ever, ever put the local news on when the kids are up. Our local news is just so graphic. I really don't think my kids need to hear about rape and murder on a daily basis. I hardly watch it myself. I will put on the national news a few times a week, but I keep my hand on the remote in case it gets too graphic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Right, there's very little news on the "news". I just don't consider it very worthwhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 We don't have any sort of local news except the AM radio, LOL. As far as national news I only occasionally watch, and if something particularly interesting is on I may have my teenager watch a segment with me. But in general, no. I do often print out news/commentary articles to discuss with my teen during the school week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleWonders Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 No, but then again, dh nor I watch TV news. The only time we will watch it together is if there is a local natural disaster (for instance, we watched a lot off and on two years ago when San Diego was dealing with huge brush fires because we had family down there who were evacuated because they were literally in the fire's path). I do read news online and dh will get some when he listens to talk radio in the car (his commute is short, so he doesn't hear much), and we often discuss current events and such, so the boys have an idea that there is an outside world. But, the news itself is too high-anxiety for me, and I don't want the boys exposed to all the negativity from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 We watch very little television. I listen to the BBC in the car, so they get their news that way. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneC Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 We often have the radio on so the kids occasionally pick up things from that but they certainly don't watch the news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Yes, I make them watch News Hour on PBS... it's torture! ;) For those of you who have not watched it, its very bland in comparison to CNN or Fox (no Barbie dolls reading the news). :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choirfarm Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 We do not have cable and do not watch any evening programing. However, we watch the local news and the 5:30 national news almost every night. It is the only tv I watch and the only way I know what is going on in the world. We turn the tv on at 5 and turn it off at 6. Other than that it is Netflix. My 14yo wouldn't miss World New Tonight. The others 12 and 6 watch it sometimes but often do their own thing. That is my only new input. I feel a little isolated out here as it is. I guess I never thought about NOT watching it, but we live in a small town and our local news is from a town of about 75,000. It is a owned by a Christian man (on our local Christian station all the time) They have a series called the Power of Prayer and uplifting stories. If they have a murder to report, it is done tastefully. Christine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 We watch very little TV, but occasionally I see they watch news, and it doesn't bother me the least. Usually to get our news we read online newspapers, and sometimes I will print out for them some articles if I think it's important for them to know, and we sometimes talk as a family about what's going on. Nothing too much, but I like them to be generally in touch with what's happening. Also we never really talk about or watch/read explicit violence, when I say news, I have in mind world politics, economy and news from culture/science more than anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cougarmom4 Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 You could check out www.happynews.com and see if that is what you might be looking for. I enjoy reading articles/info about people doing good things--it helps to change the perspective of the world around us from doom & gloom to looking for the good. My dh and I typically use the internet to keep track of the news. We do try to shield the kids from watching news on TV--it often seems that most of the reports are on disturbing things that happen. Currently we have a mom missing in a nearby city, a few weeks ago a young father was trapped in a cave & died, a high school teacher has been molesting students, hmm...I would just prefer my kids don't know all the details on stories like this. It's different with ds12 than ds7...the older one is more aware of these things happening...but we don't sit down as a family and watch the news. We do discuss current events at the dinner table so it's not like the kids don't know anything about what is going on in the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 He must with Papa, not like sitting down and watching, but seeing an image or two when he is playing. Now that TV changed somehow (something about a converter....shows you how up to date I am), we get almost nothing. Kiddo does hear the news on the radio at times, and he frequently asks questions about the pictures in The Economist. As he asks more, I am more detailed about the bad things in the world. Thus far the only things that has made him tear up were the kitten being rolled up in the dough in the B. Potter story, and the "cooling in the stream, cooling in the stream, cooling in the stream" of the puppy (which nearly drowned him) in the old story Epaminondas and His Auntie. http://www.rickwalton.com/folktale/bryant18.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rookie Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 We do not watch television and would never watch the news on TV. It's not even really news, just sensationalism. My DH reads the Financial Times so we choose articles and hand them out to the dc to read. I LOVE the FT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 We watch a range of news stations on tv, including our local stations. Dh is big on newspapers, we get four. I'm sure the kids pick up some things from the tv, they have started reading parts of the newspaper on their own (my 8 yr old likes to read the headlines/look at pictures, then come ask us what it's all about). I listen to NPR podcasts, so they sometimes hear stuff there as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Not much. I hate most news programs. they have become sensational and more like entertainment. We will watch 60 minutes, Frontline or an issues oriented program on CNN or something. Dh and oldest son like to watch the Daily Show (for humor - we disagree with many of his stances on issues and we will point out where we see bias.) We pretty much avoid the celeb news, except dh likes to watch The Soup on E!. We do get a major paper, so we use that, plus the internet (plus here) for our news. I do think it is important to know what is going on, but that importance level is pretty low when the kids are young. As they get older, it becomes more important. For my teens, I think it is important. For my 9yo, I censor a little more. She is very sensitive and I would like her to spend less time worrying about the world and more time developing as a person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Talk radio, the internet, (select) newspapers, and God's World News/ World Magazine No TV here, and we didn't watch mainstream news when we did have one. I think it is important for them to know major stories and developments, but not the hysteria and celebrity gossip that passes for news from many sources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyK Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 I usually TiVo BBC World News (we have a half hour that's on cable on BBC America and our local PBS station) and MacNeil-Lehrer (or whatever it is called these days). The latter is something I've watched with my husband since pre-kids, and neither show would be inappropriate if they were interested enough to watch. I'd love for them to be more interested in foreign policy and other important issues. We also get 2 newspapers (our local paper and the New York Times) that are out for them to see, again, if interest. We don't really watch the network news except when we're with my in laws but again I'm fine with it (my boys are 7 and 11). When my oldest was younger I tried to shield him from 9/11 news, but stopped when I found out he knew about it. I think local news is the hard one -- we watch it for weather sometimes but I have to be careful that it doesn't turn to things I don't want them to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coleroo Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 I wont be sheltering my kids from it...if they see it, they see it. But I nor my husband make an effort to watch news - we listen to talk radio sometimes and I keep up with headlines on google reader (if something interests me I'll click through but more often than not I don't). For me, personally, I can't handle it emotionally...I get really stressed and realized long ago that my life is much, much happier without it. There's always talk of some murder or shooting or gang-related-whatevers or dying or car wrecks...and that's just on the local news! I've had some hard times in my past (with people I love dying, one in a bad motorcycle accident) - real life is hard to deal with in itself...who wants to watch it happen every single friggen day???? My mom is an avid news watcher and to this day can't understand why I don't watch it anymore She thinks something is wrong with me...."What if there's a boil water advisory???" she always retorts. If there is, I'm sure she'll call me. :-D So in a way, I guess I'm going to be sheltering myself more from the news then sheltering my kids. I do want them to be aware of current events at a young age (starting around age 5 I'd say), but I do NOT consider murders, kidnappings, car jackings, shootings, and gang banging "current events". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 We read God's World News, and we will discuss politics to an extent with them. The news here is go graphic and everyday there are reports of murders, robberies, and so on, but the kicker is that we have like 5 murders a year in our area so we hear about stuff from a neighboring city. My dd is very sensitive, and she is afraid of her shadow, so if she heard all of that she would never leave the house. When she is a teen we will reevaluate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanestMomInMidwest Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Yes, I make them watch News Hour on PBS... it's torture! ;) For those of you who have not watched it, its very bland in comparison to CNN or Fox (no Barbie dolls reading the news). :lol: You know, some would consider that child abuse. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanestMomInMidwest Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 DS9 reads the local paper. I find it sparks more discussion if he reads the paper than if he watches the news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Well, we don't watch much tv and we don't watch the news so my kids don't watch it either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 I havent read the other replies..but I think it very much depends on the age of the kids. By teen age, I make sure they have some idea of what is going on. But earlier than that, I just let it happen naturally- but we dont watch tv news. We had the papers delivered for years so that helped. I wouldnt want young kids to really stay in tune with the horror in the world. Plenty of time for that later. Out of my two kids though, one is quite interested and likes to read the newspaper and has done for years- the other doesnt really have any interest at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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