Let me preface this by saying; Please don’t crucify me, this is what works for MY family.
My kids watch the news with us. Since our oldest was young, 6:30 was news time and we would sit and watch. She didn’t always pay attention, but she was present and did pick up on some things. This has led to having a 10-year-old well versed in world subjects that people twice her age have no clue about.
For some reason, people are always shocked when they find this out and that blows my mind. Why would you want to shield your child from the world? Why wouldn’t you want to present an opportunity to have a meaningful conversation? This week we have watched many segments on D-Day. My daughter, a self-proclaimed history freak, was intrigued. She asked questions, had me look up facts, dove into a wormhole of WW2. She asked about the people who came before us, their legacy and was in awe of the impact they left behind.
She followed the 2016 election, read up on the candidates and learned how it all works. She watches coverage of the current state of our country. She asks how this will affect her and wants to know how it will change when she’s an adult. I remind her that being informed is the best way to initiate change.
I’ve heard multiple times, sometimes from my own family, “Oh my, you shouldn’t let her watch that.” in regards to coverage of school shootings, celebrities who have taken their own lives, or coverage of the war in the Middle East. My response is always the same. Why? Will exposing her to the reality of the world we live in ruin her? Probably not. Will it make her a more educated, compassionate and mindful citizen? Probably.
We have no plans to change our ways with our second child. She watches with us sometimes and asks some questions and we will always answer them truthfully to her level.
I’m proud to be raising informed children, I’m proud that my 10-year-old can have a proper conversation about world events. But she’s still a kid; sometimes she really can’t grasp why something happened, thankfully she isn’t afraid to ask the questions until she gets it. Plain and simple, my goal as her mom is to make sure she never stops asking those questions.
