School letting 8 year old watch newsround

[rhonyvsrhobh]

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?

You keep them in the dark then they grow up ignorant of the world around them

Yes, YABU, OP. 8 is old enough to be watching the news and for it to spark discussions at home. (Particularly when it's a news programme created specifically for children.)

We don't do our children any favours by sheltering them from the truth. It's our job to help educate them, including helping them to think for themselves; ask questions and take an interest in the wider world around them, and what shapes it. And not discussing the news at home - and complaining when they view/discuss the news in an age-appropriate way at school - doesn't mean they won't hear the very things you're afraid of. It just means they won't have a responsible adult around to correct any misunderstanding or discuss their fears with.

well done @OchreDandelion - I would be really pleased if I had a child in your class, and I am sorry you received a complaint for doing your job well.

What a great opportunity to have a conversation with your 8 year old. Newsround has a balanced and sensible approach to all news topics. Watch again together and talk it through. Immediately after do something fun together.

The trouble with parents doing it when they see fit, is that sometimes they don't. Because it's uncomfortable.

Ds is 12. He has a phone. I didn't really talk much about drugs, but he knows what weed smells like, because the older kids smoke it on the way to school. Feel like I'm reacting to that, rather than having the ovaries to tackle it earlier, so I've pre emptied the next issue by giving him the talk on Internet porn and sexting.

He was embarrassed, but clearly already knew what porn meant, so think I chose the right time. But I plan to revisit.

@mamabear715

Sorry all, I agree with OP. Why, exactly, do children NEED to know about things like this? It's not their concern, they should be playing, not watching this kind of stuff, & I for one would be fuming if school showed something that I'd purposely kept my kids from seeing on the news, breakfast tv or anything else. Because it's not just on the news now, is it? Anything that happens is wall to damn wall, all day every day. My kids are older, but they all remember catching glimpses of things like 9/11, for example. It really shakes kids up.. they remember for YEARS. It can be really traumatic for them. Mine weren't wrapped in cotton wool by any means, but I do think they should be allowed a childhood.

I do understand, but the news is learning about the world, the good and the bad. We need our young people to grow to be resilient and learning that death, war, famine and disease are part of the human experience. If they don't learn to cope with this information and how to deal with in a healthy way as they grow.

I would advise you to watch Inside Out as even Pixar Disney were able to understand that children need to experience a full range of emotions.

Precious

Dd 5 yr old (Y1) came home yesterday and said x at school said there was a war at playtime and it was y’s and her families fault as she is Russian. Dd was upset because x was mean to y but she dosent want Duncle to have to die (he’s in the military). Really wish school had addressed this or I had had the guts to do it on the way to School yesterday rather than putting it off because she found out anyway and ended up thinking her friend y’s dad was gonna end up fighting her Duncle. So no I wouldn’t be annoyed at news round because there gonna find out anyway and usually be much more worried because they’ve found out a load of rubbish.

Thinking about it most kids will have at least one military kid or Eastern European kid in the class so it’s not like there unaffected

@FangsForTheMemory

You're being precious. Anyone who was a child in the 50s or 60s grew up knowing about the potential for nuclear war. At what point would you prefer your child to find out? Other children will tell her anyway.

I wa a child on the 50s and 60s and I don't remember hearing anything about the risk of a nuclear war. I wonder if we have got into a mindset of treating children like mini adults. They're not. They aren't able to process things in the same way as adults and they have neither the experience or knowledge to think dangers through logically. Personally, and many may disagree with me, I think that like initial knowledge of sex, it's best to let them ask questions at their own pace and answer truthfully and calmly. There is so much coverage of every disaster on the media that it's easy for children to be led to believe that there is no good news anywhere and no stability. Perhaps this really isn't good for their mental health. Let children be children and give them as carefree a childhood as possible for as long as possible.

You are being precious. Better to be properly informed by news aimed at her age rangem

YABU
Newsround is fine for children to watch and it's healthy for your child to ask questions about this.

You're adding to your DDs problems by trying to hide it from her. She needs you to explain the geography and politics (former USSR) to her in an age appropriate way, so she's understands why it is happening and why it is highly unlikely to effect her.

Kids pick things up like sponges, so she would find it if was happening anyway.

When Syria kicked off, my friends son (similar age to your DD at the time) became terrified of the fast jets that do there low level training over where we live. It was important for him to understand where Syria was and that what was going on was there and not here.

Talk to your DD.

This is the opportunity you use to teach your child to listen to news from the correct sources, such as news round and not fake news through peers or social medias.

Newsround is aimed at kids, yes you are being unreasonable and absolutely ridiculous. Shit happens in the world, better to be informed.

Okay so I know what MNetters think, but I have had the same thing and spoke to the school. They were not aware that teachers had done this, though with the best intentions staff were 'trying to reassure children.'
The deputy head said it is absolutely a parents right to sheild their child and that the school should have informed parents of what they planned to do 'as a whole school approach '.
I understand people think parents who ask this question are being precious, but my DD's school said children were in tears thinking WW3 was happening, so they should have absolutely informed parents.
There is so much fake news, news reports with air raid sirens on them and mothers clinging to children crying. This is not normal and is not age appropriate. Anyone who thinks exposure to this sort of thing helps children build resilience needs to remember that when WW1 and 2 happened, the gulf conflict and the troubles in Ireland, there was no Internet, for some no TV and children were not bombarded with images of war. There needs to be some filters and showing the news without giving parents the chance to be prepared for questions is irresponsible.

Some of the posts on here remind me of parents who say ' I got smacked and it didn't do me harm'. Maybe not, but your experience does not invalidate that of others.

Bullshit. Showing children programmes which are age-appropriate is totally fine. Parents imposing their crazy, paranoid views on their dc is not fine.

@Bitbloweyoutthere

The trouble with parents doing it when they see fit, is that sometimes they don't. Because it's uncomfortable.

Ds is 12. He has a phone. I didn't really talk much about drugs, but he knows what weed smells like, because the older kids smoke it on the way to school. Feel like I'm reacting to that, rather than having the ovaries to tackle it earlier, so I've pre emptied the next issue by giving him the talk on Internet porn and sexting.

He was embarrassed, but clearly already knew what porn meant, so think I chose the right time. But I plan to revisit.

And some parents do because let's face it we are the experts of our own children. Some parents are lazy, some are abusive, some are too wrapped up in themselves but there are some amazing, nurturing parents who are in tune with their child emotionally and support their child's development at their child's pace and not one dictated by the pull your socks up and get on with it brigade.

Whilst newsround might be age appropriate, I still think it should be up to parents what they show their child. I never watched such things at school? For me- the issue is that schools seem to be bringing children up and feeding them all sorts of bloody nonsense, with parents having no say so? I find that more of a concern than the problem being newsround specific. But yes definitely watch it, and then you'll have an idea of the info contained so that you can decide whether you were happy about it or not.

get a grip op

Sorry to say but you are definitely being precious! Certainly better to watch a news program designed for kids than be one of the Ukrainian kids...have an open conversation and explain that big feelings are normal. Then deal with it.

I’m in my 40’s and remember being shown the film threads in the last year of primary school when there were big concerns about nuclear war. It was utterly grim, bleak and terrifying. I rewatched recently thinking it wouldn’t be so bad and it was. It’s actually rated 15 and was shown to most primary schools as a warning of how bad nuclear war could be. It would never be allowed now. Newsround is very age appropriate so I wouldnt worry

I’d be more worried she doesn’t know where Ukraine is. You should be saying ‘It’s awful darling but it’s not happening here and is not going to’. Your dilly-dallying on the fence and saying you can’t be sure will have much more detrimental impact than watching children’s news! Don’t let your anxiety rub off on her.

I believe you would be horrendously unreasonable. This shit is real. It’s happening and Newsround is targeted at your child’s age. At my son’s school, they watch the real news. He is 7. He comes home and discusses.

@paintfairy

Whilst newsround might be age appropriate, I still think it should be up to parents what they show their child. I never watched such things at school? For me- the issue is that schools seem to be bringing children up and feeding them all sorts of bloody nonsense, with parents having no say so? I find that more of a concern than the problem being newsround specific. But yes definitely watch it, and then you'll have an idea of the info contained so that you can decide whether you were happy about it or not.

All sorts of bloody nonsense?? A factual programme on World events?

Me & sibling watched this most evenings, part of children’s scheduling at the time. We saw it as interesting, boring, there was always an animal story at the end, cute. We never felt scared by anything. Adult news was scary, we weren’t permitted to watch it.