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How exposed are your children to the news?

אילנה כהנא, הדרכת הורים | אימון אישי
Mar 9

How much are your children exposed to the news under your supervision? Is it appropriate to expose them, and at what age?


It’s impossible to completely prevent a child from being exposed to news because they hear information from friends, teachers, kindergarten staff, or even from the news playing on the TV in the living room. Therefore, it’s important that you have full control over the amount and type of information your child is exposed to.


Regarding the news on TV in the living room, avoid it during hours when the children are awake. Even if it seems like they’re busy, they hear and absorb everything. The problem begins with processing the information they’re exposed to. If you really want to stay updated on news flashes, it’s better to do so via your mobile phone. When children are exposed to difficult information (terror attacks, protests, images of a caregiver hitting a baby, domestic violence, car accidents), they don’t always know how to process it. However, they do see us reacting, expressing emotions, and hear us talking. From this, they learn how severe the situation is.


Some children pass on the information they’ve absorbed to their friends, which can lead to panic or anxiety. Due to unfiltered information and the lack of adult mediation, this can turn into a real emotional challenge.


If your child approaches you and shares something they heard at school, don’t dismiss or brush them off. Sit down, listen, and help them understand the information. If it’s important to you that your child knows what’s really happening, so you can be the one to explain, mediate, and reassure, I recommend sitting with them to watch the children’s news edition on the kids’ channel. This is a news program tailored for elementary school-aged children. Use the shared viewing time to explain, reassure, and allow your child to ask questions and express emotions. Provide them with a safe space for conversation.


In the not-so-distant future, you’ll find that your child is interested in their surroundings, shares information they’ve heard by chance, and you’ll be able to be there for them as a listening ear on all topics and as a trusted figure who provides reliable and accurate information.


 

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