Sometimes, the instinct is to avoid talking to children about tough stuff on the news because we don’t want to upset them or maybe we don’t know where to start. It’s important to provide children:
- Accurate, age-appropriate information
- Time and opportunity to ask questions
- Assurances that they are safe and they are loved
Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting and less scary. – Fred Rogers
How you can help your early childhood aged child to understand what they are hearing and seeing- from Natalie Carver, Montessori Guide
“I encourage you to tell them they are safe if they seem worried. You don’t need to use many words, and try to only answer the actual questions they ask. Be honest, concise, and speak as simply as possible. That is developmentally appropriate. Remember the world is so very new for these little ones, and they don’t have the perspective to understand that if it is really happening that it isn’t going to happen to them. They assume everyone lives down the street, including those who are in peril on the TV. I encourage all of you to save having the news on until after the little kids are in bed, or read the news on your phone instead. Children see these repeated images on the TV and their first impression is that they are actually happening over and over again (because the same clips of violence and destruction are going to be shown again and again). They do not know it is the same video being replayed. They also have a hard time knowing what is real and what is not real. You can help them understand this. Again, It is best to be honest and calm. They also naturally believe what adults say, including those adults on TV. It can be scary for them.“