Children & The News

Post 2 of our series on the effect of the news on children deals with young(er) children. Maureen Boggs, COAD’s ECE Division Director, has the following recommendations: Adults must monitor routine media play at home – TV, radio, adult discussions. Prevent what you can. If news is not filtered, a preschooler might pick up name-calling moments and begin repeating them to friends and family.  I like watching news while cooking.  Immediate discussion can ward off bad effects.  Hearing name calling, bend down; get to your child’s level and say directly, “I’m sorry that you heard that politician calling people bad names. That was a very hurtful thing to do. How would you feel if someone called you such a name?  I surely don’t want you to call names. Let’s turn the station to something friendlier.”   You’ve identified the issue, you’ve given the direction, and you’ve demonstrated how to avoid a similar situation in the future.