Discussing News Events

Discussing Difficult Events in the News

Even though most of us tend to be safe in our day-to-day lives, unfortunate events, such as high profile acts of violence or natural disasters, do occur. Even if you limit your child’s exposure to the news and social media, s/he may still hear about these events from others. At the upper-elementary age, the trickiest part about discussing a situation like this is finding balance. At this age, children need enough information to understand the main points of what's happening, but do not need all of the details.

General Rules of Thumbs

  • Model calmness

  • Maintain normal routines

  • Reassure safety and review how safety is being ensured (i.e, the school practices lockdowns, your house has locks on doors/windows)

  • Find out what your child already knows

  • Use your child’s questions as a starting point for how much information they are seeking and what they want to know

  • Answer questions in a simple and brief manner – if you are unsure of something, it’s appropriate to say so

  • Limit exposure to media coverage, and when viewing coverage, watch it with your child to filter out inappropriate content

  • Ask about fears/questions and show that you take them seriously – avoid comments such as, “it’s silly to worry about ____”

  • If interested, brainstorm ways to help those involved