{"id":215226,"date":"2021-07-12T12:04:11","date_gmt":"2021-07-12T16:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=215226"},"modified":"2021-07-12T12:04:11","modified_gmt":"2021-07-12T16:04:11","slug":"how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-the-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2021\/07\/12\/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-the-news\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Talk to Your Child About the News\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Between social media, TV and playground chatter, it\u2019s impossible for parents to completely shield their young children from the world\u2019s tragedies \u2013 and that\u2019s OK. Assistant Professor of Transmedia Storytelling and youth studies expert Tara Conley explains there are ways to handle discussions with children who have questions about difficult things they see or overhear from the news.<\/p>\n

Keep these tips in mind the next time your child is exposed to a news event they may not fully understand.<\/p>\n

Ask what they know and what they want to know<\/h2>\n

When you notice your child is scared by something they saw or heard on the news, take time to ask them what they\u2019re feeling, what details they know about the event and how it makes them feel. In a 2020 interview on the NPR podcast Life Kit<\/a>, Conley said it\u2019s important to give kids an opportunity to share what\u2019s on their mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cAllowing them to have that space, where they’re asking questions about what they’re seeing, how they’re feeling, what do they think \u2013 you know, who do they think the story is talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n

Focus on the positive<\/h2>\n

When a tragic event occurs, a news story may focus on unsettling details such as casualties. But when that feels like too much for your child to process, take a page from the Mister Rogers handbook: \u201cLook for the helpers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur natural instinct is to find those that are the antagonists in that story,\u201d Conley said on Life Kit<\/a>. \u201cBut who are the ones around us that are actually helping us get through this? Who are the ones that, you know, save the lives of young people at that moment? That’s where we should focus.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an opportunity to make it a teaching moment, too. \u201cIn talking with our children, we also have to show them how we’re helping too, and asking them, what do you \u2013 how do you see yourself as a helper in these situations?\u201d<\/p>\n

Encourage kids to use their creativity to process news<\/h2>\n

Whether it\u2019s creating a drawing, posting a YouTube video, or even recording music, there\u2019s a bevy of ways young children can use their creative skills as an outlet to make sense of what they see or hear on the news.<\/p>\n

Allow them to tap in to the emotions they\u2019re feeling, and encourage them to reconstruct their own stories through play and imagination, says Conley. This is especially helpful when there\u2019s a flood of information coming in.<\/p>\n

Teach your child about news vs. opinion<\/h2>\n

Depending on their level of understanding, having a conversation about a scary news event could also be a good opportunity for a parent to teach their child about how to distinguish between news and opinion.<\/p>\n

In a 2021 interview with WCCO CBS Minnesota<\/a> following the January 6 riot at the Capitol, Conley said children should learn where different information comes from.<\/p>\n

\u201cAcknowledge there are political viewpoints that are always going to be at odds with one another and they should be able to know how to spot them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally \u2013 and this piece of advice is just for the parents \u2013 it\u2019s OK if you don\u2019t have all the answers at once. Just you listening may be enough.<\/p>\n

\"Photo
Tara L. Conley, Assistant Professor at Montclair State University\u2019s School of Communication and Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To speak with Tara Conley, contact Montclair State University Media Relations<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n