Hard Topics

Where to start?

Oversharing can be as bad as avoiding difficult conversations. Start by asking children what they've heard. Use the words they used to bring up the subject and ask, "What do you know about [this topic]? What have you heard?"

Confronting misinformation is one of the most important things you can do as a parent. In fact, dispelling a troubling rumor may be enough--fear or confusion about something may be what your child is worried about, not some larger, more complicated issue.

Hard conversations will come, and for that you'll want to start from a place of love and generosity. Establish charity as the way to read every situation, giving everyone the benefit of the doubt and framing everything with hope. This doesn't mean looking through rose-tinted glasses, or downplaying real problems. But as Christians we must remember that everyone bears the image of God and is doing the best they can, and that God is merciful and ultimately in control. Without using platitudes, it can help to step back and take a big-picture approach to difficult topics, seeing how the Plan of God has been gradually unfolding, and that despite dark periods of time, the light is stronger and will not be overcome.

For more specific, age-appropriate ways to talk with your children about current events, see this article on CommonSenseMedia.org.