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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not want our 4 year old to be watching the news

128 replies

PaddlingUpstream · 08/09/2016 19:27

DH cooking in the kitchen, with the evening news on TV, with DS on sofa staring at the TV. When I said I didn't think it was appropriate for DS to be watching the news, DH's response was 'but I'm trying to watch it', with lots of tutting, huffing and puffing and 'can't DS watch something in the other room'. Er, yes, but you're supposed to be looking after DS for 15 mins while I'm in the shower but regardless, it's not appropriate for DS to watch it so why are you ignoring the fact that he is watching it? This conversation is a regular occurrence. So MN jury, AIBU?

OP posts:
SolomanDaisy · 09/09/2016 06:43

If you're concerned about your 4/5 year-old knowing about current affairs, you can have PMQ on and talk to them about politics. I do that with my 5 year-old, who can give basic facts about the politicians in both the UK and where we live, e.g. he can explain there was a vote for Brexit, he can explain that Jeremy Corbyn leads Labour and wants to be PM but Theresa May is actually PM. That's age appropriate current affairs knowledge. He doesn't need to see pictures of kids' teddy bears in the wreckage of a plane or worry about trucks driving into crowds of people.

Crackerdog · 09/09/2016 06:47

I grew up with Radio 4 in every room and now find myself doing the same. I think.you are being a bit precious but not as much as the put your foot down poster. Life needed.

mellongoose · 09/09/2016 06:56

Sorry I haven't read all posts so I may have missed something important. However

News pre watershed isn't not appropriate for young kids.

^this. But it should be. Anything on the 10 o clock is fair game but not 6pm. Just my opinion. I wish the news was subjected to the same rules as everyone else.

Believeitornot · 09/09/2016 06:59

No wonder we've got Brexit underway and Trump in the running for president

That's the best and most ridiculous excuse I've heard for trump and Brexit yet. We are too child centric GrinHmm

ApocalypseSlough · 09/09/2016 07:04

cracker I'm the same but I think there's a very big difference. A child zones out sounds and words they cannot understand, but not so with visuals.

Crackerdog · 09/09/2016 07:08

I guess so. But I still think that once people give up all aspects of adult life to protect their precious darlings, they are not functioning normally.

SolomanDaisy · 09/09/2016 07:13

We started switching off the radio news when it became clear DS was listening and understanding enough to worry him. Some children might tune stuff out, some really don't. My DS still worries about something he heard a year ago, and it wasn't even something big like war.

Crackerdog · 09/09/2016 07:19

That's true. Some children are very sensitive. I agree with that. It's really about the child rather than a blanket rule. Still think the put your foot down attitude is knobish though.

CheshireSplat · 09/09/2016 07:20

DD(4) has started picking up on news items (I always have Radio 4 or 5 Live on). She got quite upset a few weeks ago when she heard about the babies dying in the Iraqi hospital fire (though she did cheer up quickly when she found out that no parents died as she concluded they could have more babies).

So whilst she didn't appear affected afterwards, I hadn't realised how much she was listening, so this has made me turn the radio off when there are particularly nasty stories, eg reports about Samoa Shahid, that I don't want her knowing about.

AmandaK11 · 09/09/2016 07:26

If this is a single occurrence, I wouldn't make that big of a deal. I agree that there is a proper way to introduce them to the news about the world we live in, and possibly the age of 4 is not that great of a time to start. But I wouldn't make an issue, if the whole situation was an accident.

BertieBotts · 09/09/2016 07:35

Jesus. I hadn't read about the Iraq hospital fire but that is one of the most distressing news pieces I've seen in a long time.

ItMustBeBedtimeSurely · 09/09/2016 07:37

The news isn't real life - it's a highly edited selection of events from real life, heavily biased towards the negative, violent, worst side of humanity. Because people aren't interested in good news.

So I don't let my children watch the news, and I don't think mainstream news outlets are particularly useful or informative either, certainly not if that's your only source.

AuntieStella · 09/09/2016 07:44

"Anything before the watershed is acceptable afaic"

I used to think that. Until the BBC showed a snuff movie (ie the capture of Ghaddaffi)

You cannot rely on time of day.

Especially as much of the news is adult content - fancy explaining violence, terrorism, missing children and a bodies found etc on the hoof?

That said, I'm a bit of a news addict, so my DC have been watching it from an early age. And it's not often they've been upset.

namechangingagainagain · 09/09/2016 07:55

Radio 4 normally on here too. I normally just turn it off or over. 2/4 of my children have made it to adolescence without any obvious problems. They are always a bit surprised that other teenagers don't know about brexit or war in Syria.
I always wonder on these threads.... When we are all in kitchen having breakfast should I not put BBC breakfast or the today programme on and ban all talk of current affairs? .... Or should I just sit with older children (older than 7 say) and shove the younger ones somewhere else to watch peppa pig?

namechangingagainagain · 09/09/2016 07:57

Sorry that should say I normally turn it off or over if something distressing on

LittleLionMansMummy · 09/09/2016 08:15

We censor the news itself. Politics, Olympics etc fine. Terrorist attacks, rape, murder etc, no. We speak to him about the nastier stuff but explain it to him age appropriately and without the graphic details. We also emphasise that although bad people exist and bad things happen, there are many more good people and good things in the world. It might not always feel like it to us, but it's important to help our children keep some perspective too and not scare them senseless.

sashh · 09/09/2016 08:24

I'm a news addict, our dc have grown up with it. Anything before the watershed is acceptable afaic.
Back in the 1970s my brother was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. His answer was 'An IRA sniper' - he had no idea what that meant.

We didn't as much news after that. A 6 year old will not understand the news. YANBU

honeylulu · 09/09/2016 08:37

Oh dear. Have always had the news on when children are around. had never given it much thought. Oops.
Actually the Radio one news often gives a warning : "if you have young children with you, you may want to off for the next few minutes as the report may be distressing" and I usually do turn off if children are in the car.

Artandco · 09/09/2016 08:40

I think children can still be knowledgeable about the world and current affairs without the main news though.

Like others we have talked to ours recently about the voting, brexit, trump!, about the fact their is war in Syria and refugees, about random things like Tim peak space mission and similar. Some things we will then show a story about it or a news round clip that we have previewed ie a child's view inside a refugee camp.
At 5, I don't want mine terrified of planes being blown up or terrorists nearby. They shouldn't have to view blown up bodies or dead people or extreme fighting.
As they grow, stuff they view can change, but it should be censored for children. I think it's good they get time to grow up not constantly worried

HairsprayBabe · 09/09/2016 09:13

I think you are being a bit precious, children should know about the world they grow up in, it makes them more resilient and realistic as they get older.

Natsku · 09/09/2016 09:41

I grew up watching the news and listening to the news on radio 4 every teatime, I don't remember ever being distressed about what I saw/heard but maybe I was, maybe I wasn't but I did grow up very aware and knowledgeable of what was going on in our country and the world and I think that was a good thing (to be fair, a lot of my knowledge came from watching Have I Got News For You with my parents). I get quite nostalgic when I hear radio 4 when I'm over in the UK.

We don't really watch the news that often in our house because I prefer to read the news in English online than watch in Finnish but I'd have no problem with DD (5yrs) watching the news as its not so sensationalised or graphic here, at least the daytime news.

HandmaidsTail · 09/09/2016 10:24

Believe my point was that not teaching children to be aware of the world around them, what's happening in countries far and wide, and not to be, by habit, curious and stimulated by world events, we are creating insular and ill-informed young people. And people who don't care about the wider lives of others don't tend to care about voting. Or at least not on anything other than an I'm alright Jack basis.

Phatmummyclarke · 09/09/2016 10:48

News round is great for kids, my 5 and 8ylr old loves it and its a bit more gentle than the proper news

Humidseptember · 09/09/2016 10:54

News is a product sold to us, its always miserable and negative isnt it.

why does a small dc need to be exposed at this age to the madness and terror in the world right now? they dont have the perspective to handle such things.

No, I dont like the news on in the car or on the tv at home.I cannot see the point of it

Humidseptember · 09/09/2016 10:56

hand your talking in extremes there, you can - filter news to your dc in your own gentle way that they can understand without scaring the bejesus out of them. You can raise a dc aware of whats going on in the world without exposing them to daily rape and torture and terror and Nukes being tested.
they dont need to see pictures .