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?

[Neurodiversitydoctor]

I worried about nuclear war and AIDS at that age (1984) you can't shield them from everything.

[VanCleefArpels]

Didn’t you watch Newsround when you were 8?

[Luckylau]

I feel the same as you. I was very into newsround and current affairs at an early age and actually I think it served me a disadvantge. Childhood is so short I think the main dangers and street smarts should be taught but let them be a child for a little longer. If they ask questions then that's the time to start talking.

[PlumpAndDeliciousFatcat]

Your child isn't anxious because of Newsround. I think you need to look a little closer to home.

[Snoozer11]

@NoWigNoWit

Oh do piss of *@Donelurking*

OP I agree, mine are 10 and 12 and no news is on in the house when they’re about. They both suffer with anxiety and at the moment they don’t need all the details.

Love your username! rhobh all the way 🤣

In a few short years your 12 year old will be around their peers who will be drinking, smoking, doing drugs and having sex.

Only they'll have had an education and an idea of the world around them. They'll know the things that can happen, what to look out for, and have a much more mature view of the world having been exposed to it through the media.

Your precious little ones won't have that. Hiding them from the realities of the world at such an age is absolutely unthinkable and. They're not 5!

How on Earth do you expect them to grow into fully rounded, well developed, politaclly minded, well educated teenagers and adults when you won't let them listen to or watch THE NEWS?! Shit happens. Life isn't fair. They need to get used to it.

You're doing a great harm to both of your children.

[AssemblySquare]

@NoWigNoWit you seriously protect your 12 year old from the news??!!!!! Wow! I’m shocked!! How do they cope with school? PSHE lessons? English? Geography? History? All of those cover current affairs.

I have a Y8 tutor group and we discuss the news all the time - led by them and no.1 topic today was Ukraine!

[Meandthesky]

I do think newsround is age appropriate for an 8 year old and that they should be aware of things going on in the world.

But I wouldn’t have thought today was the best day to introduce 8 year olds to the news for the first time, even in child friendly format. It’s difficult to hear about even as an adult.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

I met John Craven BTW. Nice bloke. I never thought I'd have a place to name drop that but here are my people.

[TheMoth]

The school probably had lots of kids talking about the situation, more than likely with some embellishments, and decided it best if kids actually saw some truth.

The 6 o clock news was on every night in my house. We were more scared about talking and pissing my dad off than what was on it.

[Snoozer11]

When I was growing up, there were huge bombs eviscerating Manchester city centre, young mothers dying in car crashes in tunnels, train crashes, passenger planes flying into huge skyscrapers, tsunamis washing up on beaches where families were playing and the London underground blowing up.

I can't imagine ever being shielded from any of it and can't imagine how naive I would be if anyone had tried to.

[HappyAsASandboy]

We watch news round every night before bed. This includes my 7 year old and one year old, and has done for several years. Newsround is great for explaining things in a neutral and calm manner, and referring to support when needed

[Hankunamatata]

Mine only watch streamed crap 🙄 but wasnt newsround always on back in the day on and afternoon with the kids cartons? I remember watching it everyday

[NoWigNoWit]

@AssemblySquare At the moment yes.

You have no idea what our situation is. Aren’t you just sooooo amazing though!! Like WOW!! Really!!!!!

[saraclara]

I think it was a very sensible move on the part of the school today. This morning children will have come into school very aware that something momentous and scary happened in the early hours. Their parents might have been shocked or worried, or they might have seen or heard the news on the TV or radio before they left for school, without anyone having time to talk with them about it.

It was very likely that some of them might ask their teachers about it. And it's a very difficult area for any individual teacher to get into a conversation about. So showing newsround to the class is a safe way of acknowledging what would be on children's minds today, knowing that the information they would get would be accurate, simple and carefully judged by the editors of the programme.

Well done that school. They made space to ensure that they acknowledged what the children would be dealing with today. The parents should be grateful to be honest. Because they've been saved a difficult task.

[Hankunamatata]

My 13 year olds history teacher has actually changed topics to the history around Russia and surrounding countries

[Tilltheend99]

Not this again. Newsround is for 8 year olds and is age appropriate for them any older than primary age and they should be watching the main news.

It’s important your child knows what is going on. This could quickly effect the rest of us in Europe and it will be less of a shock if you discuss it with your child now.

[Fizzgigg]

@Meandthesky

I do think newsround is age appropriate for an 8 year old and that they should be aware of things going on in the world.

But I wouldn’t have thought today was the best day to introduce 8 year olds to the news for the first time, even in child friendly format. It’s difficult to hear about even as an adult.

And I wouldn't imagine that's what happened. Reading the thread most children that age watch Newsround regularly in school so I'd imagine the OPs child does too. It's only with the news today being scary that she's worried about it

[Gowithme]

I was going to say show her on a map how far away Ukraine is and tell her in miles to help her understand the scale ie it's 4 miles to your school it's 1500 miles to Ukraine.

I don't think you're being precious, some children are very anxious - my ds with ASD for example. The anxiety isn't from being 'wrapped up in cotton wool' it's just how he is and is very common in children with ASD, I kept him away from the news as much as possible when he was young as people with ASD are prone to catastrophising and he would have been a wreck.

Anxiety can be genetic and hereditary and an anxious child can be really affected by things that others aren't unless it is handled very carefully. I was very anxious a a child and remember watching something at school about the importance of washing your hands after going toilet - the message was being really banged home - and I was convinced for quite a long time that the germs would kill me if I didn't. Children just don't process things the way adults do and you can't always predict the way they will process things.

While newsround at 8 will be excellent for most children there will be a few with anxiety that it might not be the best for. Knowing there a war going on in the world at 8 (or that some children are sexually abused for money as in another thread - NOT from Newsround) are not things that primary school children need to be aware of, it doesn't help them in anyway and is much more likely to seriously damage their mental health by making the world seem like an extremely scary place.

I don't think there's anything wrong with saying, this isn't ok for my son right now. I wonder if he could have the option to read about the news on the newsround site instead - then he can choose what he reads and I find reading rather than watching can be less traumatic.

[MermaidEyes]

@Neurodiversitydoctor

I worried about nuclear war and AIDS at that age (1984) you can't shield them from everything.

And the IRA bombing everywhere, which was on the front cover of the daily papers my parents would read.

[NewcastleOrBust]

It's not 'amazing' to allow 10 and 12 year olds to watch the news or to talk about current affairs with year eight children. It's normal.

Are you apologising for telling donelurking to piss off for absolutely no reason?

[CountTessa]

There are a series of books called 'what to do when...'. They've just released a new one about how to deal with scary news. The books are aimed at primary schools and look at how to deal with fears and anxieties and worries and not let ourselves get weighed down by unhelpful thoughts or ways of doing things. It might be a starting point for a good discussion in your house op, and for the women who thinks the 12 Yr old is too anxious - now is a great time to get support before it takes over their life.

[TheHumanSatsuma]

Ffs, stop being precious.
Good on the school.
Newsround is produced for an audience of that age.
It’s excellent. Explains current affairs in a child friendly way.
Children hear things and are scared. Newsround is a brilliant way to help them understand

[Bdhntbis]

@NoWigNoWit I appreciate that you’ve said your children have anxiety and that we don’t know your situation but do you not think that children will be talking about it at school and it’s better they know about it?
My DD was very little when the pandemic started and i thought by not talking to her about it I was protecting her but she ended up with a lot of misinformation that was more worrying to her

[RedToothBrush]

[quote AssemblySquare]@NoWigNoWit you seriously protect your 12 year old from the news??!!!!! Wow! I’m shocked!! How do they cope with school? PSHE lessons? English? Geography? History? All of those cover current affairs.

I have a Y8 tutor group and we discuss the news all the time - led by them and no.1 topic today was Ukraine![/quote]
I was caught up in an IRA bombing age 14.

Having a good general knowledge by this point - which cannot be taught later as knowledge of current affairs is in real time - was essential for me. I feel very strongly that being exposed to reality and being media critical is a life skill that should be up there with English and Maths.

Lots of kids have difficult issues at home which may be covered by Newsround. It reflects some of the things they may be dealing with and tells their peers something about their friends circumstances.

My cousins grew up without a tv. From an early age they struggled with certain things because of this lack of exposure to culture and news. At age 11 one of them still couldn't cope with the violence of Tom and Jerry. Both had difficulty relating to children their own age because they didn't know what certain things were. Like Ed the Duck. Imagine growing up in the period when there was only the 4 channels and not knowing that. It affected them making friends and being part of their own generation.

I don't think you need to be hardcore the other way with media and effectively be plugged in constantly, to age inappropriate stuff or have total emersion but you do need to be aware of how all consuming certain cultural and current affairs issues are.

It definitely damaged my cousins to not have learnt the skills to understand and process what they were seeing / hearing.

Your child isn't anxious because of Newsround. I think you need to look a little closer to home.

I agree with this totally. There is a lack of parenting going on when you completely isolate your child from the reality of the world around them.

[MermaidEyes]

@NoWigNoWit

Oh do piss of *@Donelurking*

OP I agree, mine are 10 and 12 and no news is on in the house when they’re about. They both suffer with anxiety and at the moment they don’t need all the details.

Love your username! rhobh all the way 🤣

The 12 year old is in secondary school, they'll be well aware of world events, whether you approve of it or not.