Newsround Irresponsible talking about war to kids

[Crouchendmumoftwo]

Is it just me or does anyone else think it is totally irresponsible that Newsround was talking about an impending war with North Korea showing dramatic images that I feel would create worry in a child. My son said mum America and North Korea are going to have a war. Is it really necessary to show this to young children in the morning?

I think the only sensible approach if this a problem is to do what my parents did: assume that news are likely to contain something upsetting and not let him watch it.

YABU but I do understand your concern. If your child is going to be upset, however, I think it would be better for you not to let them watch rather than to suggest censorship of the news!

Having said that I can still remember the real anxiety I felt when newsround reported the hole in the ozone layer and melting icecaps in the 1980s when I was a kid!!

YABU but I get where you're coming from. Dts are 6 and they have a subscription to First News - the paper gets delivered once a week, its age appropriate and because it's print it seems less alarming if that makes sense. They love it.

Op I'm inclined to agree with everyone else

They touch on war in school. Some kids come from service families. It's not really something to shy away from

If anything, I think this is one area that kids need to know a bit about. It's age appropriate but if your own child was so worried about clowns then maybe tv censorship is required

YANBU because of the context in which they're discussing it.
If it were about the plight of children left in war torn Syria, I'd say you were being unreasonable but talking about the possibility of nuclear war between two countries that is more to do with media hype than what's really happening, isn't unreasonable.

We were shown the film Threads in year 9 and it totally petrified us all and many of us have been affected by it throughout our adult lives.
Children can still learn what's going on around the world without the need to feel scared and worried. At that age, news should be simple and set out in the way sex Ed is at that age. It should be age appropriate and whilst it seems some posters don't mind their kids being subjected to the ins and outs of nuclear war, I'm pretty sure that the majority of 7 year olds don't in fact need that amount of detail.

But it's also meant to be appropriate for 13yos. That's a big age gap when you consider how much kids change between those ages.

You know it's in the news - if you don't want them hearing about it, don't let them watch a news programme

But I want them to know about the news. I just want it done in an age appropriate way.

Newsround is a short round up. Having a few minutes on a potential nuclear war simply isn't enough, quite frankly. It just gives a quick sound bite on a massive issue. So they shouldn't do it, or have a much longer segment (which would be my preference). We don't have to do everything in a few minutes.

But it's also meant to be appropriate for 13yos. That's a big age gap when you consider how much kids change between those ages

I'm not convinced it is appropriate. I've been a bit and slightly worried about Trump, N Korea and everything else but have the time to read around and reassure myself. How many 13 year olds might put on a brave face and worry about it but not tell anyone. Or, worse, get googling and come up with all sorts of loony stuff without their parents ever knowing?

We don't have to do everything in a few minutes.

Well, Newsround is only on for a limited time each day and presumably they cover a fair bit. They don't really have the time to spend more than a few minutes on each article, surely?

Well, Newsround is only on for a limited time each day and presumably they cover a fair bit. They don't really have the time to spend more than a few minutes on each article, surely?

Exactly. So don't cover the more sensitive stuff or have a separate programme which goes in a bit more depth.

But nuclear war means something to you Believeit because you know the implications. Do your children? I'm not sure mine would

I agree with you op.

Kids should know about these things. I used to watch plenty of stuff that scared me as a child. If I was worried about anything, I'd discuss it with my parents.

I think he's long left, but I met Lizo when I was 16 and he was lovely.

Target age for CBBC is 6-13.

I love newsround. I thinks one of the best things on cbbc.
I think they handle things really really well, their coverage of terror attacks has been brilliant and completely age appropriate.
Trump is a top topic in my children playground (even age 7!), as are nuclear bombs. We've had some really interesting discussions as a result of newsround.

If you know an event has happened and it might upset them, don't let them watch it.

I love newsround. I thinks one of the best things on cbbc.
I think they handle things really really well, their coverage of terror attacks has been brilliant and completely age appropriate.
Trump is a top topic in my children playground (even age 7!), as are nuclear bombs. We've had some really interesting discussions as a result of newsround.

If you know an event has happened and it might upset them, don't let them watch it.

Imho television isn't an age appropriate medium for very sensitive young children to access the news. It's too much in your face, images you can't get away from and don't get the time to digest. Newspapers are better or supervised use of the internet.

But nuclear war means something to you Believeit because you know the implications. Do your children? I'm not sure mine would

Mine would want to know what it meant. They ask a lot of questions, they read First News and have seen headlines of papers in the shop. They know about politics, the election and the EU referendum. I want them to be well educated, in the broader social sense. So with stuff like nuclear war, I would rather that the BBC were a bit more responsible and covered it in a more in depth way as it deserves.

I let my 6yo DS and my class watch Newsround every day, it is a great way of informing them of the wider world and really opens up the door for grest discussion.

I've let my DS watch Newsround since he was 4 and I remember a piece about refugees came on, with quite distressing scenes of streets blown to smithereens and so on. My DS was very interested and after child-friendly and age appropriate explanations he perfectly summarised refugees in the innocent way as only a four year old could "people who are like us, who lived like us but now they need help because of war and bad things happening".

Children can, and should, be encouraged to enter in to these discussions in the appropriate way.

Don't let them watch it then? I have surprised myself by being very open with my children about the news in general as I didn't plan tobe. But I've come to realise that if they ask me about it, it's because it's on their mind and therefore I will talk to them about it in an age appropriate manner. And they know that I will turn off the radio in the car if I feel it is too sensitive/grownup an issue for them (mostly sexual assault).

I'd much rather they heard it from me or Newsround than some of the versions they get from friends in the playground!

I think it's fair enough for Newsround to discuss these things in an age-appropriate way, but not to imply a war is just around the corner if it's just speculation. By all means say that countries are disagreeing with each other, but emphasise that even if there are threats, there is currently no decision to go to war.

I also remember having Newsround on during an open afternoon (we were finishing the last 15 minutes and some parents hadn't watched it before). A section on Syrian children and the aftermath they were living in came on. Out the corner of my eye I noticed some horrified faces from the parents.

The children then went on to discuss the positives in the article, such as the aid the children were recieving; schools being opened again; the ability to play in the street. They could also talk about the many children refugees who had fled and propose ways in which their lives could be made slightly better while in refugee camps (access to school/education, safe places to play with friends, someone to talk to about anything they had witnessed). All of the children were no more than 8 years old. Their parents were very impressed over the understanding, empathy and interest they had in such affairs.

I didn't see this particular broadcast this morning, but in general I love Newsround and feel that it puts the issues over in a sensitive way for children. Recently, they had an MP who was a child refugee talking about the decision not to take any further child refugees (as you can imagine, he didn't think this was a good idea!) and I thought it was very well done - good for the viewers to hear from someone who had been through it themselves.

On the other hand, the only time I have glared at the screen was during the last general election when they had leaders (or deputies) from the political parties answering questions - I wasn't happy that they had UKIP on tbh, but that's free speech for you!

My DD is 10 and is quite interested in the news.

Children can, and should, be encouraged to enter in to these discussions in the appropriate way

this! I am not sure shielding kids from the world helps them at all - if they don't see it on Newsround they will see newspaper headlines in shops, overhear people talking, hear older kids discussing it...

At least NR is not sensationalist and it gives you the opportunity - as the parent, to discuss it calmly and rationally with your child

My 6 year old is just getting into Newsround and loves it. He's interested in the news and the world and will ask questions about what he's heard on radio headlines. The main topic that I'd feel a need to censor is issues relating to child sexual abuse as there's several layers of questions there that I don't feel ready to tackle with him. Children do have strong natural filters on what they're ready to process though, and Newsround is an excellent way to gently explain the state of the world.

He's struggling with his literacy skills so information books and newspapers aren't very accessible to him. I was reading newspapers at his age though.