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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

School letting 8 year old watch newsround

421 replies

rhonyvsrhobh · 24/02/2022 20:06

I think that it is important for children to know what is happening in the world - to an extent.

My 8 year old, primary 4 daughter came home today very upset and worried as she had seen on Newsround which is shown at her school that Russia have invaded Ukraine. She has asked me several times if we were going to get 'hit'. I have tried to reassure her that it won't happen (what else can I say) and not to worry. She then asked me to swear on her life that we won't be affected by it. I said I couldn't swear on her life but not to worry, it won't happen.

She is very anxious and I just don't think something so serious should have been shown to 8 year old children. I feel so sorry for them, they've had covid and now this!

AIBU to contact the school about this or am I being precious?

OP posts:
Brieandcamembert · 25/02/2022 06:34

The problem is having such an anxious child not the Jews. Are you very anxious? It often transfers to children. Manage her anxiety now before she gets older.

It's really important children do grow up aware of the world. It's how they learn and grow. Newsround is age appropriate.

Brieandcamembert · 25/02/2022 06:34

Oh gosh. The News not the Jews Blush

N00tN00t · 25/02/2022 08:52

Its hard when you have an anxious child, though. When my dd was in primary school, they would watch news round every morning and she would come home really worried about EVERYTHING. I don't think I was being precious in not wanting her to watch it.

She ended up covered in bruises where she had been prodding herself all over, feeling for lumps after a clip about cancer symptoms. It was awful. She had nightmares and tried to stay awake all night so she didn't have them. It stopped when she stopped watching news round.

Some children don't cope well with things like that, even if it is told to them in a child friendly way.

RedToothBrush · 25/02/2022 09:04

@N00tN00t

Its hard when you have an anxious child, though. When my dd was in primary school, they would watch news round every morning and she would come home really worried about EVERYTHING. I don't think I was being precious in not wanting her to watch it.

She ended up covered in bruises where she had been prodding herself all over, feeling for lumps after a clip about cancer symptoms. It was awful. She had nightmares and tried to stay awake all night so she didn't have them. It stopped when she stopped watching news round.

Some children don't cope well with things like that, even if it is told to them in a child friendly way.

This is where you do parenting and work with the school to manage anxiety.

A child self harming at such a young age is liable to continue. You need to deal with it, not ignore it. Otherwise she will never learn the skills to cope as an adult.

N00tN00t · 25/02/2022 09:30

Where I do parenting? Bit rude. I did 'do parenting' however, I didn't have the support of the school, or anyone actually. The health care provision here is shit and she is still on waiting lists for some things from 4 years ago. She's 15 now and I have supported her through a lot. To suggest I should do parenting is actually quite hurtful.

thatsnotabadger · 25/02/2022 09:36

Our school's policy is Newsround every day from P4 (age 7/8) up. Good for discussion and developing an awareness of the wider world as well as a sense of citizenship. Plus it's child friendly, that's the whole point. DD1 came home yesterday upset as someone told her in the playground there was a war, so we watched Newsround together so she could understand it better.

hangrylady · 25/02/2022 09:44

I think it's great they watch newsround, they explain things better than I can.

MinglingFlamingo · 25/02/2022 09:49

You're being precious

new around is specifically aimed at children of that age.

My claim to fame is that I was interviewed on Newsround at 8 years old.

balalake · 25/02/2022 09:53

YABU to contact the school.

DirtyDancing · 25/02/2022 09:56

Precious.

In fact that you for reminding me that I need to start to encourage my 8 year old DS to start watching that

Serrina · 25/02/2022 10:45

Strange how nobody worried about their children being anxious and upset 30 years ago when schoolchildren were being bombarded with pictures of starving children from war torn and famine ridden parts of Africa left right and centre. Or didn't they matter as much?

Fizbosshoes · 25/02/2022 10:49

Strange how nobody worried about their children being anxious and upset 30 years ago when schoolchildren were being bombarded with pictures of starving children from war torn and famine ridden parts of Africa left right and centre. Or didn't they matter as much?

I remember seeing this on the news and newsround, as a child. However there wasn't the same level of media saturation (of any situation) before the Internet and 24 hour news channels

meditrina · 25/02/2022 11:09

@Fizbosshoes

Strange how nobody worried about their children being anxious and upset 30 years ago when schoolchildren were being bombarded with pictures of starving children from war torn and famine ridden parts of Africa left right and centre. Or didn't they matter as much?

I remember seeing this on the news and newsround, as a child. However there wasn't the same level of media saturation (of any situation) before the Internet and 24 hour news channels

I'm not sure how much people used the 24 hour news channels in the mid 90s - though it's sometimes said that Kuwait/Iraq (1990) and Somalia (1992) were the first with round the clock saturation coverage

If you want your DC to know about Rwanda (if that's the African conflict you meant) then you might be interested in how Newsround covered it 20 years on

www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/26924363

But there was a war in Europe at the time (former Yugoslavia) and civil war in Russia (Chechnya) and that meant that press attention was spread

RedHelenB · 25/02/2022 11:17

Yabu. Newshound is very tame and always sresses the positive news stories. It's probably kids talk in the playground worrying her about getting " hit".

Serrina · 25/02/2022 11:38

@meditrina

I was at primary school during the late 80s and early 90s so first it was the famine in Ethiopia and then the Rwanda conflict. We didn't have 24 hour news but it was a regular topic during lessons at school because we had regular fundraising events, teachers would bring in newspaper cuttings of certain stories showing images of these children, we were also told to collect them ourselves to make collages for the schools campaign posters for whatever fundraising event was due to take place.

KittenKong · 25/02/2022 11:50

I was a kid in the 70s - have you not seen the public information films they put on tv back then?? Some still give me the creeps (Deep water, 4 minute warning, don’t get locked in a fridge, clunk click…)

Whatdramain2022 · 25/02/2022 11:55

My two year 5s came home yesterday and were so well informed that they knew more than I did. They are really interested and not worrying about their family.

Whammyyammy · 25/02/2022 11:59

Good lord, its Newsround. How precious do you sound. Put the kids in a bubble wrapped filled box and put it in the attic. They'll be safe from the truth up there

Neurodiversitydoctor · 25/02/2022 12:56

I told her she had nothing to worry about that it wouldn’t happen to us it’s really far away.

Why ? Yes it's far away it is unlikely anything will happen here, but IT IS worrying why minimise ?

Neurodiversitydoctor · 25/02/2022 12:57

They won't believe bland platitiudes anyway. My parents told me I couldn't catch AIDS of course I didn't believe them.

RedToothBrush · 25/02/2022 13:12

[quote Serrina]@meditrina

I was at primary school during the late 80s and early 90s so first it was the famine in Ethiopia and then the Rwanda conflict. We didn't have 24 hour news but it was a regular topic during lessons at school because we had regular fundraising events, teachers would bring in newspaper cuttings of certain stories showing images of these children, we were also told to collect them ourselves to make collages for the schools campaign posters for whatever fundraising event was due to take place.[/quote]
Blue Peter Bring and Buy Sales!

They should have been banned too, for being too triggering.

Kite22 · 25/02/2022 13:18

Excellent post by @ginexplorer . As adults, one of our really important jobs is to teach our dc to deal with anxiety and worries. To teach them resilience. Nobody is going to go through life without sad times and times where things go badly or times when life seems unfair. What we all need to do is learn how to deal with worries, how to deal with sad times, and how to deal with things that seem unfair. I despair at the responses on so many threads on MN where the instant responses of people are report to the police, or ltb, or march into school and have it out with the HT , or call OFSTED, etc etc etc.

@N00tN00t I read RedToothBrush 's post as "where one does parenting". she wasn't having a go at you.

Completely as an aside, I am amazed at all these schools watching television every day. Don't get me wrong, I think Newsround is excellent, and I applaud schools that get their pupils discussing issues of the day, but am intrigued as to how schools fit it in to the curriculum.

Bearnecessity · 25/02/2022 13:29

Newsround is 5 mins long.

Emmelina · 25/02/2022 13:29

The entire Newsround broadcast start to finish is around 7 minutes. We’re not talking about long sessions of telly-watching here.

wincarwoo · 25/02/2022 13:59

@RedHelenB

Yabu. Newshound is very tame and always sresses the positive news stories. It's probably kids talk in the playground worrying her about getting " hit".
Actually my 8 year old is very worried and wanted me to turn off the news this morning. I want her to be informed but it's a tricky balance.