How much do you tell your kids about what is happening

[DawnM]

in the world?

 

For example:  The three incidents in Orlando this past weekend.  Do you share with younger children?  What age?  What info?

 

I have to admit, we have pretty much always just talked about things, maybe even when some people think they were too young.

 

I grew up in a 3rd World Country, as an American.  We had to talk about what was going on, the countries we were in were not always stable.  We have lived through military coups, government unrest, and we have been kicked out of a country.

 

The reason I am asking is because I mentioned the alligator incident to a friend and then mentioned the shooting and she quickly shushed me and said, "Oh, my kids don't know, we don't talk about any of this with them."  Her kids are 8 and 11.

 

I respected that and stopped but it honestly took me by surprise since we have always just talked.  My kids were 2 and 4 when the twin towers went down.  My 4 year old saw it on TV and we talked about it, at his level.  Maybe we shouldn't have.

 

What are your thoughts?

 

ETA:  Just to give you the context of why I started talking about it......we were at a restaurant, one of those restaurants that has TV screens going.  It was on the news and the kids could plainly see it (with captions) if they were paying attention.  I don't know if they were or not.  They had been commenting on a cooking show 10 minute prior.  So, I didn't just start talking out of the blue.

 

 

Edited June 16, 2016 by DawnM

[Guest]

My 13 year old knows everything and we've had lots of discussions. My three and four year old know nothing. We don't watch the news or listen- we only access online so they have no chance of every overhearing something too intense. The four year old internalizes and really chews on things far more than my older dd did at his age, and I think it would create some fears. I prefer to let him remain innocent a little longer. But I wouldn't think someone a bad parent or anything for discussing it with their own kid- it's very kid specific in my opinion.

[mamiof5]

It really depends. Ours (8, 10 and 11) have heard a little about each event, but we don't go into details. For example, they know a 2yr old died in Florida and mom is really sad about it, but they don't know how. We have a 20 month old little boy, they don't need to know the details.

[happi duck]

When my kids were little we talked about world events but in a careful way.

 

I might have steered the conversation away from something horrible if the kids were in earshot. Not because I was hiding events but that some people think kids don't listen or understand but mine did. Some people share more bluntly and I would have wanted to avoid that.

 

Now my kids are young adults still at home and we have awesome discussions on all sorts of things.

[Joker]

Mine are 14 and 17 and I think they actually know more than I do. Both shooting occurances in FL involved people or a community they care about so they felt connected and have kept up. I kept them up to date on the sweet little boy killed at Disney.

[Arcadia]

My kids watch the 6am news if they are awake and the 9pm news if we happen to watch. We did not discuss the news though so they know about the Stanford rape case as presented in news but not full details. They know about the Orlando shooting and about the child that was drowned by the alligator in WDW. But the only news they understood fully was the WDW tragedy.

 

ETA:

Mine are 10 and 11. They understand hate crime but I am not sure how much they understand about rape.

Edited June 16, 2016 by Arcadia

[rwilk]

DD is 4---we try to avoid any discussions we can.  She's overly worried and anxious about everything, that it's too hard to help her understand the likelihood of these events. 

 

It's hard because DD can read things---billboards, road signs, and the like.  It is so hard to explain things like human trafficking (on local billboards here) to a 4 year old.  If there are trafficked girls in our county, why don't we just find them?  There aren't really that many houses they could be hidding in.  If everyone worked together, we could save these kids, right mama?  No.  Not right.  

 

I can only imagine her confusion and fear if we told her about any more.  Her grandparents siblings were all killed in camps, so she has a sense that people do terrible things, and it has terrible consequences.  There's so much awful in the world though, that at her age, she can't understand how to sort it all.  I see no reason to expose her to any more than I absolutely have to.

[J-rap]

When my kids were young, I didn't listen to the news in front of them.  I just didn't think they needed to hear it at that age.  If it were a really huge event, such as 911, then of course we would talk about it with them in a way that aligned with their maturity, but we didn't necessarily watch it all together on the news.  At some point though, it just felt right to begin really discussing things more, I suppose when in high school?  But even then, we waded carefully into issues, and some we still put off until we knew they were ready to discuss.  I consider it extremely important to keep up with world news and issues and I also enjoy discussing them a lot.  So when our kids were finally at an age where we felt we could really discuss things, it was great.  A lot of our family life now revolves around discussing current events, ideas, and important issues.   All of my kids love to do that.  But when they were young, I wanted them to be young and worry-free and innocent of the harsh things that go on in the world.

 

However, I don't think our way of doing it should be the only way.  It was just our way.  If other people want to start talking about all of these things earlier, fine.  And I can certainly understand how it might depend on circumstances or the particular child.  The OP certainly had a good reason for growing up in a family where things were discussed at an early age.

[Catalytic]

I think it really depends on the child.  

 

On 9/11, my oldest got sent home sick (my aunt picked him up from school, she lived closer than I did), he was 9, and she kept the TV on what was happening and explained everything.  He was fine.  DD was a week from being 8, we gave her the bare minimums, I didn't tell the younger two (3 and 2)

 

When Columbia exploded, we told both of the older two, still not the younger two (11,9, 5, 4)...hubby, me, the older two, all were from the Space Coast and had seen launches.

 

Neither the gator nor the Pulse shooting have been mentioned around DS6, he's too tenderhearted.  There was a child (2 yr old) killed in a tornado nearby a few months ago and DS6 heard me telling DH about it...he cried for days.  But his grandpa, who he doesn't remember, died in December and it didn't bother him at all.

[ThisIsTheDay]

We lived in Littleton when the Columbine shootings happened. My kids were 4 and 1. We did not tell them anything. People always asked if that was why we chose to homeschool. (No, completely unrelated.) They found out about six years later. We'd moved away, and a neighbor commented about it.

 

On 9/11, my then 6 year old watched on tv as the second plane hit the tower. She went off to school as usual that day, heard comforting words from the adults around her, and it was casually discussed.

 

I'm a big fan of shielding children from the evils of this world when possible. Of course that doesn't mean shielding them from life as they get older, but I saw no reason to tell them things they didn't need to know when it was not to their benefit. Of course, that would have been different if they'd had older siblings, because then there would have been some exposure to those particular incidents from general household discussions.

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

I talk about it as it comes up with them, or I discuss in more general, age appropriate terms. I don't talk to my 6 yo about a rape incident because he doesn't fully understand all of that. But I do talk with my kids about how no one should ever touch them in a place where their bathing suit covers (unless medical doctor with parent in room.) I do talk about how they should always respect people and that they should never take something away from a person. I do discuss laws like assault or murder. I tell them there are bad guys in the world. We have been studying Civil War, and we have discussed slavery, and we discussed illegal slavery today.

 

On the alligator, we visit FL frequently and understand alligator danger. We decided not to tell them about this specific incident to take away some of the magic of Disney World for them. It's too heartbreaking, and it's unnecessary for them. But we do tell them about alligators and their capabilities and that children have been snatched before. We tell them why we never feed alligators and stay out of the ponds in FL. I have a horrid fear of alligators and talk to them about this predator probably more than any others. We have had snake discussions lately too.

 

I have talked to them about other shootings and tragedies, but we haven't brought up the Orlando one with them yet. I don't know if we will or not. I don't rush to share bad stories with them, but I share them when they come up in discussions and are teaching lessons. We don't watch the news much and get most of our news online. They know there are bad people in the world who wish people harm. I never lie to them on anything. But I don't always share every detail.

[emmaluv+2more]

Mine are 11, 8, 5 and 2.  I have discussed world events with my oldest in the past, but none of these current events.  I can't explain it, but they just seem too harsh.  Innocence and all. 

 

I'm usually all for discussions that can have deep, long lasting impressions and teach life lessons, but 2 yr olds being eaten by alligators and a mass execution?  Just too much.

 

I

[KungFuPanda]

It's very individual. I have one child who is more sensitive than the other. It's probably best to know what your child can handle and adjust accordingly. I'm not sure I agree with universally shielding or exposing the child to disturbing news without taking their personality into account.

[redsquirrel]

Well, a great children's therapist that I used to work with had a guideline of 'no tragedy before 8' and I took that to heart when they were younger.  Now my kids are 11 and 16. My younger boy, who is still homeschooled, watches CNN student news every school day while he eats lunch. So, if it's big enough to make that then he learns about it and we talk about it

 

I don't see any reason right now to bring every tragedy to his attention. We don't have broadcast TV, so unless I specifically bring something to their attention they don't know. My older boy attends public high school, but there is a lot he doesn't hear about. But he will pay attention to NPR news, and his dad and I don't try to shield him from things. I will sometimes correct things he has heard in school or sometimes, because he is a teenager, he will make huge leaps that defy logic. I try to nudge him back, lol.

 

But the younger boy I still do shield somewhat. If he doesn't need to know about something, then I don't tell him. I just don't see a reason for it at this point. It's not like he's hanging out with friends discussing current events, they talk about robot dinosaurs and legos.

[nd293]

We don't talk about things that don't affect them. There is absolutely no need for them to hear intense details about an event halfway around the world, or even in the next city. We might talk about an event if there is a clear lesson to be learned about personal safety, but even then we keep it abstract or at least thin on details. We don't watch TV news at all in a purposeful effort to keep unnecessary ugliness and fear out of their lives.

 

That said, we don't shield them from scary facts in general - for instance I was once shushed by another mother when I told dd, then 6yrs, that a teacher was wearing a bandage because she had been attacked by a dog. It was a fact, she asked, I answered. And if they overhear me talking about a tragic event in world news it's not an issue - if they ask I'll explain more fully.

 

Dd15 consciously avoids this sort of news. I'm glad she is wise enough to do that. I tend to read too much news and dwell on things I can't change myself, and it is not healthy.

[Audrey]

We've always just talked, too.  I can't count the number of times I've got my Marxist rant-on going over something.  My dh is equally as passionate about things, so the conversations are frequent.  As he got older, ds would participate.  He's pretty astute and well-versed in world politics.  I don't think we've done him any disservice.

[purplejackmama]

We lived in Littleton when the Columbine shootings happened. My kids were 4 and 1. We did not tell them anything. People always asked if that was why we chose to homeschool. (No, completely unrelated.) They found out about six years later. We'd moved away, and a neighbor commented about it.

 

On 9/11, my then 6 year old watched on tv as the second plane hit the tower. She went off to school as usual that day, heard comforting words from the adults around her, and it was casually discussed.

 

I'm a big fan of shielding children from the evils of this world when possible. Of course that doesn't mean shielding them from life as they get older, but I saw no reason to tell them things they didn't need to know when it was not to their benefit. Of course, that would have been different if they'd had older siblings, because then there would have been some exposure to those particular incidents from general household discussions.

I agree with this. A lot. I read the book, Simplicity Parenting, and it solidified many of my thoughts. Childhood is so fleeting. Really you blink and it's over. I don't see the need to share too much with children.

[MaeFlowers]

We don't typically bring things up in front of ds and never have. It kind of depends on the subject. He is so sensitive and anxious and would literally stay up all night worrying about things. Dd is 4. She hears us talk some but we wouldn't talk about mass shootings or rape in front of her. Why would I want a 4yo to hear about those kinds of things?

It helps that neither of us watch the news on TV anymore.

[Guest]

My kids are pretty little and don't know about any of this. I listen to some podcasts that discuss these things but the older kids haven't ever asked me questions about it. We they get older we will talk a lot more, but right now they're children in all senses and just don't 'get' world events outside of memorizing history facts.

[momof4inco]

My kids are 8, 9, 11, and 12. My 9-year-old has no interest in the world outside of our everyday life, he's just happy in his world and I'm okay with that :)

 

I didn't talk to any of the others about the Stanford rape case. They know about the shooting in Orlando, but not in much detail. They just know that someone went in and shot a lot of people in a nightclub. They've heard about other mass shootings as well. I think it's hard for them to understand because it's all so far away. We pass by the theater where the Aurora shooting happened on our way to Children's Hospital Colorado, and the Planned Parenthood shooting was very close, so those were much more personal to them.

 

Such a sad world we live in, it's hard to keep it all away from them anymore.

[Pawz4me]

We always talked about current events in a way that we thought appropriate for their intellectual and emotional levels (they both were/are) advanced in both areas, I think. They're 17 and 20 now and I can't tell that all that talking and exposure was anything but beneficial. 9/11 was a bit tricky with oldest, who was five at the time.

[bettyandbob]

I didn't turn on the news, but no way I could shield an almost 7and almost 4 from 9/11. Almost 7 was homeschooled. Kids were being picked up from preschool almost as soon as it opened. Ds7 had OT that morning. The therapist learned between appointments and hard to take a break to try to locate her dh (a Pentagon employee). In the days that followed ordinary office builds within a mile if our home had men in full body armor W with assault weapons standing on the street near driveway entrances. The kids did not miss the changes all around.

 

I tell a little bit. If they ask questions I tell more. I think it's impossible to keep a child ignorant of events unless you aren't interacting with the greater world. Certainly by 7, 8 or 9a child is playing on the playground, doing rec sports, religious ed or other thing where I have no control what is being said to him. I'd rather be the trusted person he processes difficult things with.

[TammyS]

At 8 and 11 I wouldn't talk about it to them, either.  I don't think my 17 year old is aware of it, either, but not because we hide it but because he's not really into news.  We have a 5 year old in the house, so we don't talk about these things in the open too much.

 

My standard has always been "what good will it do the kids to know?".  If I can think of a good reason to tell the kids, some way in which it will help them, then I do.  But I can't see the good in talking about this with an 8 and 11 year old.  If I need to use an incident like this to demonstrate that we don't murder people, for whatever reason, then I've failed anyway, and talking about the incident will not help.

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

No need to tell my kids because they both read and watch the news.  (10 and 14)

 

They usually tell me about stuff before I've read about it. 

[SemiSweet]

My oldest watches Student News every single day that it's on, we discuss things as they come up. I discussed the rape case and the shooting with both of the older kids. My little guy will be shielded for awhile, but he may overhear us occasionally.

[DawnM]

At 8 and 11 I wouldn't talk about it to them, either.  I don't think my 17 year old is aware of it, either, but not because we hide it but because he's not really into news.  We have a 5 year old in the house, so we don't talk about these things in the open too much.

 

My standard has always been "what good will it do the kids to know?".  If I can think of a good reason to tell the kids, some way in which it will help them, then I do.  But I can't see the good in talking about this with an 8 and 11 year old.  If I need to use an incident like this to demonstrate that we don't murder people, for whatever reason, then I've failed anyway, and talking about the incident will not help.

 

 

By that logic though, what good does it do me to know......maybe I should never watch the news or know what is going on in the world.  

 

I disagree.  

 

My kids don't know about the shooting because they need to learn how not to kill.  That has nothing to do with it.  They know that.  

 

We talk about it because they need to understand that there is evil, there is mental instability, and there are people out there who need our love and support in times of trouble.  We talk about ways we can help.  We have discussed what donating blood and plasma does, who is appropriate to give money to and who might be scamming us, how those in helping professions like law enforcement, medical personnel, mental health professionals, and even government workers can play a role in being a change in the world.

Edited June 16, 2016 by DawnM

[TammyS]

By that logic though, what good does it do me to know......maybe I should never watch the news or know what is going on in the world.  

 

I disagree.  

 

My kids don't know about the shooting because they need to learn how not to kill.  That has nothing to do with it.  They know that.  

 

We talk about it because they need to understand that there is evil, there is mental instability, and there are people out there who need our love and support in times of trouble and need.  We talk about ways we can help.  We have discussed what donating blood and plasma does, who is appropriate to give money to and who might be scamming us, how those in helping professions like law enforcement, medical personnel, mental health professionals, and even government workers can play a role in being a change in the world.

 

Honestly, if you don't live there/know people, I don't think it does you *much* good to know.  Me, either.  Except that people will want to make policy decisions, legislate because of it, it does no good at all to know. I don't need to know about things far from my home to know about donating blood, or money to helper organizations (shoot, where I live it's all volunteer fire departments, you can't trip over something without hearing about helping helper organizations).

 

My 8 and 11 year olds don't need to know about mental instability.  They can't do anything about it.  They don't need to know about scamming, they don't have anything to be scammed. 

 

I'm not seeing an upside to knowing about these things that my children can't get when they are old enough for it to matter. 

[maize]

I don't usually talk about things unless they come up somehow. I don't think kids need to know about every bad thing that happens anywhere in the world.

 

I told them briefly about the Florida shooting this week because they wanted to know why a flag was at half staff and I guessed that was the reason.

[maize]

My little sister had nightmares for YEARS after 9/11. Her school teacher had turned the news on for the whole class to watch as it was happening that morning :(

[DawnM]

Honestly, if you don't live there/know people, I don't think it does you *much* good to know.  Me, either.  Except that people will want to make policy decisions, legislate because of it, it does no good at all to know. I don't need to know about things far from my home to know about donating blood, or money to helper organizations (shoot, where I live it's all volunteer fire departments, you can't trip over something without hearing about helping helper organizations).

 

My 8 and 11 year olds don't need to know about mental instability.  They can't do anything about it.  They don't need to know about scamming, they don't have anything to be scammed. 

 

I'm not seeing an upside to knowing about these things that my children can't get when they are old enough for it to matter. 

 

There are things they can do.

A local 12 year old organized a blood drive and it will go towards the victims.

 

There are countless stories of young people who have made a difference.  

 

And if nothing else, my kids can pray.  And they have, even at a young age.

 

But I understand what you are saying and can respect that.

 

My main response was to the "we don't need to tell our kids about this to explain they shouldn't kill people."  That is never the intent of me talking about the news!

Edited June 16, 2016 by DawnM

[lllll]

nm

Edited November 30, 2016 by cathey

[JustEm]

If they hear about it and ask questions I'll tell them. Or if I'm discussing things with dh or another adult they are free to listen and join the conversation.

 

For example, my 6 year old noticed the flag at the library was at half staff and asked why. I knew if I said we do it as a nation when we are in mourning she would have asked what we were mourning. So I told her we were mourning the deaths of 49 people because 1 man killed them. If she had asked why I would have said more but she didn't ask.

[Xahm]

My kids are 2 and 4 and we haven't talked about this weekend's events. I told them about the gorilla incident in a careful way. We go to the zoo a lot, and I presented as "the choices we make can have a bigger effect than we think. I'm glad there was someone there who could save the boy, but it is sad the gorilla had to die." They hear more about local events. DH is a cop and we talk in front of them, though somewhat carefully. If they ask questions, we talk with them. If nothing else, the 4 year old accepts that one of my jobs is to teach her to make good choices, and it's better to get put in time out for bad choices as a kid than put in jail for bad choices as a grown up. And best to make good choices and not need time out or jail!

[DawnM]

My little sister had nightmares for YEARS after 9/11. Her school teacher had turned the news on for the whole class to watch as it was happening that morning :(

 

 

How old was she?

 

I was working back then, although I was in the counseling office of the school, but teachers had the news on in their classrooms.  I was working in a middle school at the time.

[madteaparty]

DS and I listen to the BBC most days so he knows. I do worry about the "looping" so I turn NPR off at some point.

I don't shelter him at all, he has been in refugee camps with me and such.

[maize]

How old was she?

 

I was working back then, although I was in the counseling office of the school, but teachers had the news on in their classrooms. I was working in a middle school at the time.

She was ten.

 

Oops, just realized she was born in 1990 not 91; she was 11.

Edited June 16, 2016 by maize

[Rosie_0801]

I talk about whatever comes up, particularly discrimination, unhealthy relationships and bodily integrity. I could count on one hand the amount of times I've ever said "wait until you're older," if I've even said it at all. But my dd has had a few significant injections of reality into her young life, so there isn't a whole lot of innocence there that ought to be protected.

 

I do limit the amount of violence on the news/"news" for her for the same reasons I limit that for myself.

[BigMamaBird]

We haven't talked about it yet with our older kids because the younger kids are always around (10, 7,4 and 1).  We don't have cable so we don't get the news and they haven't seen any coverage of it so no random questions either.  They're so innocent right now, they have their whole lives to deal with evil in the world, I just don't feel the need to introduce that all to them yet. 

[Bluegoat]

I haven't thought about this, but actually I tend to share very little.

 

Part of it is that I am not really a "tragedy in the news" kind of person.  I don't watch tv news, I hear the CBC and read some news sources, either on paper or online.  I don't tend to dwell much on events, I'm more interested in things that have longer term consequences.

 

So, something like the crocodile story - I wouldn't think to mention it.  It is an accident that happened far away, just like there are fires or car accidents.  I'm not normally inclined to talk about things like mass shootings by nut-jobs either. 

 

I do sometimes talk about things like policy, economics, war, environmental issues, with my dh, so the kids might listen in to those kinds of conversations.  My eldest will listen to the radio news sometimes.

 

I suppose I don't think most of what is on the news is actually news.

[Bluegoat]

By that logic though, what good does it do me to know......maybe I should never watch the news or know what is going on in the world.  

 

I disagree.  

 

My kids don't know about the shooting because they need to learn how not to kill.  That has nothing to do with it.  They know that.  

 

We talk about it because they need to understand that there is evil, there is mental instability, and there are people out there who need our love and support in times of trouble.  We talk about ways we can help.  We have discussed what donating blood and plasma does, who is appropriate to give money to and who might be scamming us, how those in helping professions like law enforcement, medical personnel, mental health professionals, and even government workers can play a role in being a change in the world.

 

You know, I think a lot of news is probably detrimental to adults as well.

 

I used to work at a job where CNN was on the tv all day in the office.  Aside from nearly driving me nutty, I don't think it was at all mentally healthy.  A lot of people's anxiety and mistrust and fear I think come out of watching what passes for news. So - we see some kid across the country kidnapped, and we feel like kidnapping is a dangerous risk, which is really an illusion.  Or that our neighbvours are scary.  And so on. 

[StaceyinLA]

I don't remember talking much about tragedies when my children were really young. Of course I also don't remember there being so many, but I know social media has a lot to do with how much we hear about.

 

The only tragic things I did talk about, and that my girls have with their kids, is death (of close family). I brought my young children to my father's funeral and my grandchildren were all at my mother's. I just don't think there is a healthy way to shield them from that.

[Janeway]

I would be way more open with my 12 yr old than my 6 yr old. I would not be telling my 6 yr old anything. My 12 yr old would be open to know a lot. I am unsure what age I would change my view point on that.

[Spryte]

We haven't had broadcast news in more than 10 years. DH is in broadcast (news, specifically), so it's kind of funny. I didn't support our young kids seeing the images often broadcast, though if we hear stuff on the radio, we'll discuss. Or we'll discuss what we've read. DS has heard a lot about news over the years, and our opinions.

 

We listen to the radio for news, and read. DS now watches CNN Student News occasionally but not lately (summer break). He has some anxiety about certain topics, so I do shield him a bit, though I'm trying not to do so. Anything that involves injustice, in his eyes, or young people getting hurt, is very upsetting. The shooting in Orlando is not on his radar right now, though we did see footage in a doc's office in Sun. He asked to sit somewhere else, and I think he just heard that there was a shooting and didn't want to see/hear more. I'm letting it be. We had 12 kids here yesterday, and none mentioned the news, so we're not alone.

 

Politics actually create a lot of anxiety for him, too. Shielding him from that is impossible, really, so we're using it as a lesson in handling anxiety.

[Janeway]

I think talking about a night club shooting or a child being killed by an alligator at Disney World are all things if you were to discuss on an internet board, you would post "trigger" in the title. Therefore, when speaking about it in public, or to a friend, you should take great care that no one else hears the conversation except the intended people. I would not walk through a grocery store discussing these things with my husband, or at a restaurant. These are not really topics of conversation for open discussion. They are horrifying events. So, not discussing it around someone else's children is pretty much a given. Even though the children might know all about it already, it is just not a topic one might want to be openly discussed in front of them.

[AmandaVT]

I'm an unapologetic shelterer of small children re tragic and scary events.

 

By small I guess I mean under 8 or 9. They don't see the news, I don't tell them about things. My 4 year old at the time did not find out about 9/11 till much later, for example. 

 

Anything they found about by accident I did explain in the least detail I could get away with. 

 

Around 9 yrs of age we watch a weekly news show designed for elementary students. it does an excellent job of reporting the facts in a calm, reassuring manner. That was the only coverage we watched of the Paris attacks, for example. 

 

By 11 or 12, I no longer shelter, although I steer away from the more sensationalist reportage and away from television news.

 

With social media it gets increasingly impossible to shelter, which is another reason I'm not super keen on social media for elementary kids. 

 

My 12 year old knows about Orlando. 

 

I've never sheltered them from politics :) They've grown up hearing mommy rant.

 

This is how we handle things too. DH does watch the nightly news, and sometimes DS is in the room. If he has any questions, we'll answer them. DH does mute or turn the channel if something that we just don't want to see is on. Last night, for instance, neither of us had any desire to watch the breathless, overdone coverage of the 2 yr old at Disney tragedy. 

 

Which weekly news show Sadie? I'd be interested in something like this for DS.

[Ewe Mama]

We don't watch tv, so the Internet is the only news source I have and most of the so-called reports these days are half-baked and steeped in supposition rather than actual news, so I have to filter everything I read/listen to through my own brain several times before I can separate fact from fiction.

 

News programs are not a part of our daily lives, so I don't really shield the kids from the news; it's just a non-issue. Occasionally they will pick up on something about it during family prayer time (God, please be with the grieving family and friends of those who lost their lives in Florida today) and will ask me about it. They also hear things during prayers at church, so they do have an inkling, but not anywhere near the exposure that their public schooled peers get.

 

We have so much going on in our family life right now that all of the external news added to their fears/worries/concerns would not be a good thing.

[SKL]

I'm sorry but I am living under a rock.  I only know of 2 incidents in Orlando this past weekend.

 

We don't watch news on TV.  Sometimes my kids see it on someone else's TV, but that hasn't happened this week AFAIK.

 

The other day we were listening to an audiobook in the car, and the book mentioned the 911 terror attack.  It was a moving part of the book and I took a moment to tell my kids about that day and also how upset I was about the latest US terrorist attack at the Orlando night club.  I told them a guy shot about 100 people and half of them died.

 

We haven't discussed the alligator incident.  It just hasn't come up.

 

Usually my kids find out about stuff fairly soon after the event, but we don't go over and over it.  I tell them my thoughts and answer their questions and move on.

 

ETA:  thanks for the clarification on the third incident - the singer who was murdered.  I didn't realize that also happened in Orlando.  We have not discussed that at home.  There are so many senseless murders, if we discussed each one, it would be all we talked about.

 

BTW my kids are 9.

Edited June 16, 2016 by SKL

[SKL]

I should clarify that I don't exactly make a point to hide stuff from my kids.  If they see an upset look on my face and ask what it's about, I will tell them.  That's how it happened with the bombing in Lahore on Easter.

 

They heard about the Sandy Hook shooting at school.  I really didn't want them to hear about that at age 5/6 (they were the same age as those murdered children).  It was unfortunately out of my hands.

[SKL]

And as someone else said, my kids hear everything.  People assume they are not listening but if they are anywhere on the property, chances are they've heard every word.  This includes the blablabla of background TV noise - e.g., news updates on the TV in aftercare.  I've gotten some interesting questions arising from that.

[alisoncooks]

We don't wach the news, so my kids only know if I tell them something. And, honestly, I won't go out of my way to tell them about Orlando. My kids are 8 and 10.